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2016 audit of Edna Mahan performed in compliance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act gave high marks to the prison, noting there were more than 90 cameras across the prison and no "blind spots."Yet prison staff testified at Mays' trial that some minimum-security housing units contain no cameras at all.Although it can take months or years for accusations of abuse to surface, in places that do have cameras, the footage is stored just 30 days before it is erased, one supervising officer testified.And while authorities
have long recognized the connection between the prison contraband trade and sexual abuse, there is no policy in place to prevent staff from smuggling cigarettes, food or drugs onto the grounds in their personal vehicles, according to Lt. Hector Smith. Smith, who has worked at Edna Mahan since 2012, told Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Daniels that many other prisons in the state require staff to park off grounds and go through security screening.The prosecutor asked Smith whether there was "any procedure in place by how officers are getting through that gate to prevent the officer from bringing anything into the facility that shouldn't be brought in by rules and regulations.""No," he replied, saying unlike other prisons, "Here, you can drive your car into the facility, which is very, very strange."