ST. GABRIEL — The Elayn Hunt Correctional Center has ramped up its crackdown on illegal contraband and employee misconduct since a new warden took over and the Department of Corrections held a press conference at the start of the year.

"I do recall at the press conference stating at that time that we are coming for you," said Seth Smith, Chief of Operations across all state prisons. "Not that there wasn't an effort before, but I think Warden Day has really doubled down on that effort, and the proof's in the pudding. We are seeing it."

Nearly 30,000 people pass through the front gate at the facility each year. Since Jan. 1, staff have searched more than 12,000 cars.

"That's our first line of defense coming in, our last line of defense going out," said Smith. "Everything that comes in and out of the gate has to be looked at at a new level."

More than a dozen Hunt employees have been arrested this year alone for offenses ranging from texting inmates outside of work and sleeping with inmates to bringing in drugs or cell phones. A handful of visitors were also booked.

"Anybody that says it's all visitors, it's not. We've arrested employees," Smith said. "Anyone who says it's all employees, it's not. We've arrested visitors. We've had contract workers come through here. We've literally had delivery drivers that have been arrested here."

Smith says a lot of resources have been directed to Hunt to combat the contraband problem, including new technology.

"One of the things that has led to a lot of the arrests is some technology changes," Smith said. "Some information we weren't able to get before through breaking cell phones and in finding contraband phones, there's a way to dump them and see what's on them and that's what has led to a lot of these arrests."

Smith says the biggest problem they face is as small as a scrap of paper — a drug-soaked substance known as Mojo.

"It was easy when it was cocaine. It was easy when it was marijuana," Smith said. "This drug-soaked paper is a beast and you can literally go online and google it and it tells you how to make it. It tells you where to order it from."

The synthetic cannabinoid can be mixed with just about any toxic chemical and can often be deadly. 

According to Smith, of the 53 deaths at the prison last year, only three were considered overdoses by the coroner.

"I understand the thought process that these numbers don't add up, but at the same time we are not hiding, we are not misrepresenting," Smith said. "We are reporting what we are given."

Smith says the Mojo problem led to a policy change that prompted the facility to go paperless. Staff are now focused on small details like checking the back of belts and the insoles of shoes to stay ahead of those trying to bring contraband in.