IBERVILLE PARISH — Four people visiting Elayn Hunt Correctional Institute were arrested over the weekend, charged with taking contraband to/from a penal institution. They were booked into the Iberville Parish Jail.
Their arrests come after the Department of Corrections has cracked down on searching visitors and employees at the facility in recent weeks.
All four people were arrested on Saturday, Feb. 7, per the arrest records.
The following visitors to the correctional facility were arrested and charged:
• Michael Phipps (charged with one count taking contraband to/from a penal institution). Phipps showed up for visitation and allegedly told officials he had medical marijuana with him, per the arrest form. The marijuana was seized.
• Yolanda Jones (charged with one count taking contraband to/from a penal institution). Jones’ vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint when a K-9 “got a hit” that there were possibly drugs in the vehicle. Per the arrest document, a passenger in Jones’ vehicle had what was allegedly marijuana.
• Corey Kitts (charged with one count taking contraband to/from a penal institution). Kitts allegedly admitted to having marijuana while on site and also told deputies it belonged to him.
• Robert Wiley (with one count taking contraband to/from a penal institution and fugitive warrant). Once deputies were notified, Wiley allegedly admitted to having marijuana while on site and told deputies it was his.
Original Feb. 4, 2026
Two Elayn Hunt Correctional Center employees were recently arrested, following a press conference earlier this week on leadership changes and ongoing changes to address concerns at the facility. The employees are charged with malfeasance in office.
According to the Department of Corrections (DOC), two correctional officers are under investigation and have been placed on leave. No other information was available on the two employees due to the active investigation, DOC said.
On Tuesday, Feb. 3, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested registered nurse Canecia Burrell and Sgt. Christiana Hardin, per the Dept. of Corrections. Burrell had been with DOC since Aug. 4, 2025, and Sgt. Hardin since March 3, 2025.
Both women were given a $10,000 bond, set by Judge Elizabeth Engolio, per court records.
UWK has learned two other people were recently issued a misdemeanor summons for possession of marijuana and introduction on contraband. Calnisha Ruth was issued a summons on Jan. 31 and Kha’ya Dumas was issued a summons on Jan. 25. Both were visitors to the prison, and officials say they’re increasing their focus on searching visitors who come in.
This comes shortly after the Department conducted a contraband search operation in January at three facilities, including Hunt. During this operation, more than 200 vehicles were searched on Saturday, Jan. 17 and another 137 vehicles searched on Sunday, Jan. 18. Three Hunt visitors were issued misdemeanor summons for possession of marijuana by the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office. Deputies seized contraband consisting of marijuana, marijuana gummies, partially smoked marijuana cigarettes and Xanax pills.
The Department of Corrections maintains that it has worked extensively to combat the issue of contraband and drugs at Elayn Hunt, as well as all Louisiana facilities, and these arrests and summons are due to the internal work performed.
“The Department has consistently been doing the work to weed out bad employees and address contraband head on,” said Gary Westcott, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. “My leadership team and I, have made it abundantly clear that any type of malfeasance in office is absolutely unacceptable and we will hold those staff members accountable.”
In Monday’s press conference, officials addressed steps they’re continuously taking to make Hunt and other correctional facilities safe and stop the entrance of contraband into the jails. One way they’ve attempted to stop contraband from entering sites like Hunt is through daily searches and body scanners, as well as more extensive visitor searching.
In addition to these searches, leadership is reviewing outside work crews and trustees and how they’re searched. To help with inmates’ substance abuse disorders, Department of Corrections Chief Mental Health Officer Shelley Edgerton recently assessed Hunt’s current mental health programs and offered recommendations that have been or will be implemented.
Former Rayburn Correctional Center Warden Travis Day recently took over Warden Keithe Turner’s role at Elayn Hunt, with the Department making the announcement public on Monday.
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