A Weapon for Extortion Long Ignored in Alabama Prisons: Cellphones Families say they have been threatened by call and text into sending thousands of dollars to protect loved ones on the inside. “But I never heard a word.”The authorities have not established a connection between the killing of Mr. Wood and the extortion of his family. Angela Wood’s son was killed in prison after his family stopped paying extortion money. Alabama is not alone in having troubled, violent prisons, or in struggling to stop the illegal use of cellphones. In 2006, Mr. Wood pleaded guilty to breaking into a car.

Source: New York Times September 06, 2020 16:41 UTC