Officer charged with smuggling contraband into prison

PENDLETON, Ind. (WISH) — A Pendleton Correctional Facility officer smuggled contraband into the facility multiple times, according to a prison media release.

Laura Whitinger, Anderson, was arrested Wednesday and faces charges of trafficking with an inmate, possession of marijuana and dealing a controlled substance.

Whitinger was hired in July 2014. Her employment is under review following her arrest.

“The risk our correctional officers experience on a daily basis is insurmountable,” Pendleton Correctional Facility Superintendent Dushan said. “Acts such as this, by a staff member who places their personal agenda above their fellow co-workers, deflects the integral role our correctional staff provides to our community and causes my staff substantial risk of personal injury.”