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SC to spend millions on netting outside prisons to curb smuggling

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina prisons will soon be fitted with netting as a way to prevent contraband from being smuggled inside.

The state’s director of corrections, Bryan Stirling, said the netting is 50 feet above the ground and will cost between $6 million to $7 million to install at all prisons.

The netting won't be able to stop a drone, but it will stop people from throwing bags, phones or other contraband over the walls.

"The netting is pretty tall,” Sterling said. “Some people say you can throw something over that, but you cannot get close enough to throw something over that. It will catch."

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Channel 9 has reported on several inmates smuggling phones into South Carolina prisons, using them to post videos of fights and attacks to Facebook.

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