COLUMBIA, SC – A security supervisor at a South Carolina prison is facing federal charges after allegedly accepting over $219,000 in bribes and smuggling 173 contraband cellphones into the facility over a three-year span. Christine Mary Livingston, 46, was indicted earlier this month on 15 charges, including bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Livingston, a 16-year veteran of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, was promoted to captain at Broad River Correctional Institution in 2016. This position put her in charge of security at the medium-security Columbia prison. Federal prosecutors allege that she collaborated with 33-year-old inmate Jerell Reaves to accept bribes in exchange for cellphones and other contraband items.
According to the federal indictment unsealed last Thursday, Livingston and Reaves would accept payments ranging from $1,000 to $7,000 via the Cash App money transfer program for a phone. The duo, known as Hell Rell and Hell Rell’s Queen, could face up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and an order to repay the illicit earnings if convicted.
Contraband cellphones have long been an issue in South Carolina prisons. Corrections Director Bryan Stirling stated that inmates have used these devices to orchestrate drug rings, fraud schemes, and even order killings from behind bars. A 2018 riot that resulted in the death of seven inmates at Lee Correctional Institution was reportedly fueled by cellphones.
Stirling expressed his disappointment in Livingston’s alleged actions, stating that she “broke the public trust in South Carolina, making our prisons less safe for inmates, staff, and the community.” He further emphasized that the introduction of contraband into prisons will not be tolerated.
The South Carolina prison system has sought federal permission to jam cellphone signals in prisons but has so far been unsuccessful. However, they have recently had success with a device that identifies all cellphones on prison grounds, allowing employees to request mobile carriers block unauthorized numbers.