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September 5, 2010

Inmate says he smuggled camera into prison to depict life behind bars

At the end of "An Omar Broadway Film," a documentary shot on a contraband video camera from within a New Jersey prison that aired on HBO in July, words flash on the screen that say Broadway is finishing his sentence for carjacking in Maryland. It took only a few clicks through the state's online court records to find out Broadway was at it again.

The Bloods member smuggled a camera into the gang unit of the Northern State Prison in Newark, and filmed for six months to show what he claimed was inmate abuse and deplorable living conditions. It was an incredible security lapse, and Broadway was shipped out of state so he could be someone else's problem. 

Court records showed Broadway was busted with a thumb-sized camera in early 2009 - prison officials downplayed the breach and said he hadn't recorded much. But that's only the camera they know about, Broadway told me in a phone call from the MCTC prison in Hagerstown. He's got hours of other footage showing how inmates in Maryland live the good life, from items approved by the Division of Correction such as video game systems and street clothes, to the things they smuggle in with the help of corrupt corrections officers. 

Read more about Broadway in today's story.

Posted by Justin Fenton at 7:00 AM | | Comments (1)
Categories: Prisons
        

Comments

what is the purpose of this article?to give attention to a criminal who obviously has no regrets and brags how his exploits have gotten him fame and better treatment,as md is superior to the prison he was in. and for what reason did maryland take this troublemaker/career criminal into our system. i hope the taxpayers of nj are paying for his 'vacation' in md but somehow i doubt it.

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About Peter Hermann
Peter Hermann started covering news for The Baltimore Sun in 1990, first in Anne Arundel County and, starting in 1994, reporting on the Baltimore Police Department. In 2001, he was assigned to Jerusalem as the Baltimore Sun's Middle East correspondent. He returned in 2005 as an assistant city editor overseeing crime coverage. In 2008, Peter returned to the beat as a daily reporter and blogger. A recent BBC report featured him in a segment on the harsh realities of covering crime in Baltimore.

Coverage will focus on crime trends, problems in neighborhoods in the city and elsewhere, profiles of victims and police officers and try to offer readers a fresh perspective on one of the most vexing issues facing Baltimore and its future.



Contributing to this blog is Justin Fenton, who joined The Sun in 2005 and has covered the Baltimore City Police Department and the criminal justice system since 2008. His work includes an investigation into Cal Ripken Jr.’s minor league baseball stadium deal with his hometown of Aberdeen, a three-part series chronicling a ruthless con woman, coverage of the killing of five Amish children at a schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pa., and a job swap with a British crime reporter to explore differences in crime-fighting. A special report looking into how city police handle rape cases led to sweeping reforms that changed the way sexual assaults are investigated in Baltimore. He was recognized as the best reporter in Baltimore by the City Paper in 2010 and by Baltimore Magazine in 2011.
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