TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – A correctional officer with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office in Texas faces charges for introducing contraband into the county’s correctional facility in Austin.
The contraband items in question? Chicken wings.
According to a press release from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office (TSCO) on Tuesday afternoon, on Aug. 21, a corrections officer from the Security Threat Intelligence Unit “became aware” that a newer officer might have “provided chicken wings to an inmate” in return for money.
The TSCO did not say if the exchange was part of an ongoing arrangement, nor how much cash or chicken was involved.
The correctional officer, who had been in his role since June 2024, was reassigned to administrative duties during the investigation.
The officer was charged with “Contraband in a Correctional Facility,” categorized as a class B misdemeanor by the TCSO. Under the Texas Penal Code, a class B misdemeanor can lead to a jail sentence of up to 180 days, a fine up to $2,000, or both.
The officer was also terminated from his position and arrested, TCSO said.
“I’m disappointed that a Travis County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Officer made such a foolish decision. We hold our employees to a high standard of conduct and accountability. We simply cannot tolerate contraband of any type being brought into our secure facilities,” Sheriff Sally Hernandez stated in the release.
