Gov. Martin O'Malley said Thursday that he would expand the use of technology to block cell phone calls in Maryland corrections facilities, part of a set of reforms designed to "root out corruption" after a federal indictment alleged widespread gang activity at the Baltimore City Detention Center.
O'Malley also called for a review of whether enhanced workplace protections for corrections officers helped dishonest workers stay on the job, and said polygraph tests would continue to be administered to jail employees.
The announcement came as state Republican leaders criticized his response to the alleged corruption and called for an independent audit of jails and prisons.
The statements continued a political back-and-forth that has followed the indictment of 13 officers and a dozen alleged Black Guerrilla Family gang members in a scheme to smuggle drugs, cellphones and other contraband into the jail, a state-run facility.
"We have zero tolerance for corruption," O'Malley said in a statement. "When members of murder networks are behind bars, the public has every right to expect that they will be prevented from committing further crimes."
It was the Democratic governor's most substantive response to the federal indictment, which has become a potentially embarrassing national story at a time when O'Malley is considering a presidential run.
House Republicans in Annapolis said O'Malley had missed opportunities to act before the scandal broke and has been slow to move after the allegations became public. He initially called the indictment "a positive development" that showed that law enforcement could tackle corruption.
Del. Nicholaus R. Kipke, the newly elected House minority leader, said he's glad to see the governor taking action now.
"We're glad that he's stepping up and we urge him to take personal responsibility as the chief executive of this state to reform corrections, and he will find bipartisan support among members of the legislature to fix this problem," the Anne Arundel County Republican said.
Also Thursday, two inmates charged in the case appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.
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