Matthew Jackson, Possessing Weapon, West Virginia 2022

Matthew Jackson, 27, a convicted inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, was sentenced to a year and one day in prison for a brazen act of possession of a weapon behind bars.

On September 3, 2022, a FCI Beckley staff member conducted a pat-down search of Jackson, discovering a handcrafted weapon known as a "shank" hidden in his underwear. The menacing tool, a piece of metal approximately 5 inches long, was sharpened at one end and fashioned with a cloth handle taken from an institution-issued t-shirt.

Jackson openly admitted to possessing the shank, confessing that it was designed and intended for use as a deadly instrument.

The sentencing hearing took place on an undisclosed date, where United States District Judge Frank W. Volk handed down the verdict. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess led the prosecution in the case.

United States Attorney Will Thompson commended the Federal Bureau of Prisons for their diligent work in uncovering the illicit possession of the shank.

According to court documents, Jackson is set to serve one year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. This harsh sentence underscores the gravity of Jackson's actions and the zero-tolerance policy of the FCI Beckley.

A copy of this press release can be accessed on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, under Case No. 5:22-cr-232.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/inmate-sentenced-prison-possessing-weapon-fci-beckley