We have an update on a story about a Murfreesboro man who recently filed an appeal to his 10-year prison sentence that was denied several days ago. 

In 2013, 22-year old Deaundra Brooks was found guilty in a Rutherford County Courtroom for robing two victims when they met him to buy a cell phone that he had advertised on CraigsList.  Soon after the robberies, Brooks was caught and plead guilty to two counts of robbery. Brooks was then sentenced to spend two concurrent 5-year terms behind bars adding up to 10-years total.  

Brooks filed an appeal on June 20th that was later denied. After the denial, we learned that Brooks evidently had a cell phone while jailed at the Morgan County Correctional Complex in Wartburg, Tennessee. He also had a FaceBook account (the above picture served as the profile photo for Brooks). 

WGNS headed to the Tennessee Department of Corrections to inquire, "Are inmates allowed to have a FaceBook account while behind bars and also posses a cell phone?" Communications Director Dorinda Carter stated, "Inmates are not allowed access to the internet or cell phones." While not discussing the photo of Brooks while behind bars on FaceBook, she told WGNS, "Over the past three years we have implemented the use of cell phone sensors, body orifice security scanners, increased facility shakedowns and cell phone detection dogs to enhance our efforts." Within 24-hours, the account that Brooks had was gone. 

Source:

Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
No. M2013-02670-CCA-R3-CD - Filed June 20, 2014

Full statement by Dorinda Carter, Dept. of Correction: 

Inmates are not allowed access to the internet or cell phones.  Inmates utilizing cell phones to access Facebook accounts has been recognized as an issue over the past few years in correctional systems nationwide. The TDOC Office of Investigations and Compliance consistently takes proactive steps, in conjunction with Facebook, to deactivate these accounts once detected. TDOC uses intensive security screenings, actionable intelligence, strategic searches based on statistical data and best practices from across the country to combat the problem. Over the past three years we have implemented the use of cell phone sensors, body orifice security scanners, increased facility shakedowns and cell phone detection dogs to enhance our efforts. Inmates found in possession of cell phones and other contraband are disciplined accordingly.