Prison officials under investigation

LOS LUNAS, N.M. (KRQE) - At least Los Lunas two prison officials are under investigation after they were accused of allowing inmates to use the phone and other communication devices in administrative office.

Investigators say at least four inmates have received special treatment by prison officials but they aren’t naming anyone specific in the case yet. According to the Los Lunas Corrections Department two inmates have been segregated and two prison employees have been suspended in connection to the case.

While officials don’t yet know what the prison employees were receiving in exchange for these favors, they do know who the inmates were calling on the outside.

“Preliminary information we received indicates that they did contact family members, an attorney and the media,” said Deputy Director of Adult Prisons Anthony Romero.

State officials say they don’t know how many calls the inmates in question made or how long those calls. But regardless of the duration of those calls, officials say allowing inmates extra outside communication is a serious security breach.

The findings of the investigation are expected to be released at the end of the week.

The Los Lunas facility houses all kinds of inmates, but officials say the inmates involved in this investigation are all considered low security risks.