SC jail guard arrested after deputies find ‘green plant like material,’ sheriff says

A 23-year-old employee at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center was arrested Thursday after officials found a “green plant like material” in her car.

Zaria Watson, a guard, was the fifth employee at the Richland County jail arrested this month. She is one of 14 arrested in the last year, according to past reporting. She was charged with furnishing contraband, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced Friday.

Investigators began an operation at the jail shortly after 8 p.m. on Thursday, when a sheriff’s office K-9 “hit” on Watson’s car in the employee parking lot. A search of the car turned up “green plant like material.” The sheriff’s department did not identify the substance.

Watson was employed at the jail through Allied Barton Security, officials said.

Watson was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to the sheriff’s department. She was released on a $20,000 bond.

Several other Richland County jail employees were also recently charged with misconduct.

A’Zasia English, 23, was arrested Jan. 24 after she made phone calls to an inmate outside of her shift hours while a guard at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. She was aware the inmate had a contraband call phone.

Donisha Grady, 36, was accused Jan. 18 of having inappropriate contact with an inmate while a corrections officer at the jail. An investigation revealed that she had 65 phone calls with an inmate between June 2023 and January 2024, according to the sheriff’s department. The calls took place outside of shift hours.

Two other officers, Amara Brown, 28, and Antiona Walker, 25, were arrested and charged with furnishing contraband to detainees earlier this month. Brown was accused of delivering a DoorDash meal to an inmate. Walker allegedly smuggled cigarettes inside of bags of chips.

In 2023, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced the arrests of nine guards at Alvin S. Glenn. The Richland County Administration did not respond to inquiries from The State about the arrests, according to previous reporting.

Staffing has been identified as a major problem at the troubled jail for some time. In an announcement launching an investigation of the jail, the U.S. Department of Justice identified staffing as a leading “concern” that drove violence and a breakdown in conditions.

Last April, jail Director Crayman Harvey identified a need to attract better staff in order to change the jail’s culture.

This story was originally published January 27, 2024 at 1:45 PM.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.