By Ray King
A 21-year-old Pine Bluff woman who was performing community service at the adult detention center in lieu of paying fines was arrested Wednesday after allegedly bringing contraband into the jail.
Johnesha Franklin was interviewed and allegedly admitted bringing marijuana, tobacco, vapes, cell phones and chargers to the jail and leaving them in a trash can in a restroom. She also allegedly said she did not know how they got from the trash can to the cells.
During a court hearing Thursday, Deputy Prosecutor Shana Alexander said on Dec. 21, sheriff’s investigators, Pine Bluff Police and Narcotics officers and Department of Corrections personnel conducted searches on two jail pods.
Sheriff’s Investigator Charles White reported that on Dec. 23, Franklin was seen on a surveillance camera entering the jail and going into a restroom.
Jefferson County District Judge Kim Bridgforth set a $50,000 bond for Franklin after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge her with furnishing prohibited articles and possession of a controlled substance.
She was told to come back to court Jan. 29.
