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Prisons have their hands full with inmates who will go to great lengths to get their hands on contraband. Drones have emerged as a bit of a scourge thanks to their ability to soar over fences and walls to drop things off, and one correctional facility in South Carolina intercepted a delivery that boasted some food that’s not typically served up inside its walls.
The primary purpose of a prison is to prevent the criminals who are incarcerated there from making their way into the outside world, but the people tasked with keeping order inside those fortresses also have their hands full when it comes to stopping the flow of items from the outside world.
Drugs and weapons are the highest priority when it comes to illegal contraband, and there are plenty of ways they can end up inside. Some prisoners recruit visitors to try to smuggle things in for them, while others will bribe guards to turn a blind eye or even serve as couriers to supply a black market that can be a very lucrative venture for the people who control it.
Drones have also made it easier than ever for inmates to get their hands on sought-after items, including the surf and turf spread that was part of a care package that made its way into a prison in South Carolina.
A drone dropped off steak, crab legs, and Old Bay in a package that was seized at a South Carolina prison
Lee Correctional Institution is a maximum-security prison in Bishopville, South Carolina that has the distinction of being the largest one in the state as well as one ot its most dangerous (in 2018, it was the site of a riot that led to the death of seven inmates).
The prison has also been a hot spot for the drones that have kept officials busy for years. In 2022, around two dozen people were arrested in connection with a slew of illegal deliveries that spawned a crackdown where at least twelve of those flying machines were seized, but they’re still a major issue at the facility.
According to WLTX, Lee was the site of another drone delivery that was confiscated by guards who discovered some relatively standard fare in the form of marijuana and cigarettes as well as a few unsuspected items: a couple of New York strip steaks, a bag of crab legs, and a can of Old Bay to season them.
🦀 Seems some folks were planning an early holiday Old Bay crab boil and steak dinner along with their marijuana and cigarettes — all dropped by a drone at Lee CI. #ContrabandChristmas #WeAreCorrections pic.twitter.com/abiQzJgN1r
— S.C. Department of Corrections (@SCDCNews) December 8, 2025
The drone that was used to deliver those items was also confiscated, but it does not appear a culprit has been identified as of this writing.