Jail nurse, jailer accused of bringing in contraband

A Clayton County correctional officer and a jail nurse were arrested Friday, less than 24 hours after a former jailer was put behind bars in a separate incident.

Officer Tabitha Clifton and nurse Jessica Castellanos are accused of giving inmates prohibited items, but the sheriff’s office did not say what contraband they brought into the jail.

Clifton is facing charges of violating her oath of office “by operating outside of her lawful duties by furnishing prohibited items to inmates,” Sheriff Levon Allen said in a press release. Castellanos is charged with obstruction of an officer and furnishing prohibited items to inmates.

On Thursday, Clayton sheriff’s office Correctional Officer Sean William Hollinshead was arrested and charged with criminal negligence and violation of oath of office for planning an attack on an inmate, Allen said. Hollinshead, 34, has since been fired.

Officials said Hollinshead “knowingly, recklessly, and without disregard for the safety of the inmate placed him in a high-risk housing unit, causing the inmate to receive life-threatening injuries and did not render aid as the beating and stabbing was taken place.”

Four other inmates, whose names were not released, were also charged in the assault.