BAKER COUNTY, Fla. — A Baker County Sheriff's Office corrections deputy was arrested Wednesday after an alleged romantic relationship with an inmate, the agency said.
Debbie-Lynn Hamm, 33, was charged with two counts introduction of contraband into a detention facility and unlawful use of a 2-Way communication device to commit a felony. Hamm was employed by BCSO for approximately six months.
She was in the process of becoming certified as a basic corrections officer, the agency said. She was immediately fired after her arrest.
The investigation involved the introduction and movement of contraband within the Baker County Detention Center, the sheriff's office said.
The BCDC Jail Inspector said Hamm was "involved in a romantic relationship with an inmate, and had been delivering illegal narcotics to him on numerous occasions." At first appearance on Thursday afternoon, Hamm was given a $15,000 bond.
On social media, Sheriff Scotty Rhoden said he was disappointed by Hamm's actions, from someone "who had been entrusted to provide proper care and supervision for our inmates." But he commended the investigation into the criminal acts occurring within the jail.
The Baker County Sheriff's Office is under investigation for undisclosed reasons following an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 7. In a letter to sheriff's office employees the next day, Rhoden called the investigation a "political strategy" to bring negative attention to the county.
