Baldwin Co. jailer fired after arrest

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, August 30, 2023

A Baldwin County detention officer was recently fired after being arrested and accused of smuggling contraband into the county jail, The Union-Recorder has learned.

Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee identified the ex-jailer as Harry S. Bullard, 56, of Milledgeville.

He surrendered to deputies at the county jail on Thursday, Aug. 24, according to an incident report filed by Deputy Lt. Brandon Towe.

Warrants were taken out against Bullard on charges of items prohibited for possession by inmates and violation of oath by a public officer. Both warrants were taken out by Towe, Massee told the newspaper during an interview in his office Tuesday morning.

The charges are felonies.

Bullard worked as a detention officer in the Baldwin County Jail from Dec. 13. 2021, to Aug. 20,  according to personnel records.

Massee said Bullard brought packaged tobacco products to the jail. Some of them were later discovered in the sally port area of the jail by Sgt. Jennifer Nelson, a member of the jail staff.

Towe said in his report that Nelson had retrieved possible contraband in the jail and sought assistance in opening and identifying the substance.

Towe said when he arrived, he found the object tightly wrapped in black electrical tape.

“Upon opening the object, I located a bag of suspected tobacco and numerous rolling papers,” Towe said. “I photographed the items prior to opening it and after opening it.”

Towe said he later talked with Maj. Robert Adams, the jail administrator.

Adams showed the road patrol lieutenant video footage of the incident.

“On the evening of 8/19/23, I observed Detention Officer Harry Bullard walking through the sally port,” Towe said in his report. “I observed Bullard reach into his left pocket and when his hand (came) out, a black object falls out of his pocket and onto the ground. This object is consistent with the object I was provided with.”

Towe said in the incident report that since the object was wrapped in electrical tape and based on its location, it was apparent to him that Bullard’s intentions were to obtain for, procure for, or to give to an inmate tobacco without authorization. 

“I tell everybody when they start working as a detention officer in our jail or in a prison that it’s a hard job,” Massee said. “I tell everybody that [they] can’t violate the rules or the law, but occasionally such happens. “We’re always sorry when things like this happen. But it’s never a mistake.”

The sheriff said often times, someone is trying to make extra money by smuggling illegal items into the jail.

“But we won’t tolerate such behavior,” Massee said.