Father arrested for trafficking with offender son

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

PUTNAMVILLE -- Putnamville Correc-tional Facility Supt. Stanley Knight reported that a prison visitor was arrested Saturday for attempting to traffic a controlled substance with an offender.

During a routine pat search, Donald Cummings, 69, Bloomington, was found to be in possession of several strips of Suboxone, a controlled substance intended for the treatment and detoxification of addictions including methadone, heroin, pain pills and opioid dependence.

Cummings was attempting to visit with his son, offender Travis Cummings, who has been incarcerated at Putnamville since May 9, 2002 for dealing cocaine, a Class B Felony; Intimidation, Class D Felony, and Battery Class D Felony.

Offender Cum-mings' current projected release date is Dec. 17, 2016.

Donald Cummings was arrested by Correctional Police Officer Troy Keith on three felony counts: Possession of a controlled substance (Class D felony), attempting to deal a controlled substance (Class C felony) and attempting to traffic with an offender (Class C felony). Trafficking with offenders is a criminal offense and is a Class D felony, punishable by imprisonment of up to eight years and a $10,000 fine.

The elder Cum-mings remains in the Putnam County Jail, awaiting his initial hearing.

Supt. Knight praised the Putnam-ville staff for "due diligence in upholding the safety and security of the facility."

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  • Comments like above are made by persons who don't know how drugs work. There are many treatment programs available to offenders. Nothing will help unless the offender himself/herself WANTS to change. It is sad but completely true. If this offender has been locked up since 2002, almost 9 years, he certainly is not in need of detox at this point in time. He is still looking for that 'feel good fix'. Daddy must believe there is nothing wrong with taking/dealing drugs or he would not endanger his own son. The State has not failed miserably, but the offender and his father are the failures. They have failed to take this opportunity to clean up and make good use of their lives.

    Put the blame where it belongs.

    -- Posted by River Rat on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 12:06 PM
  • Really? The son has been locked up for over eight years and he is still detoxing. What a joke. The dad is smuggling the drugs in for his son to sell for $$$$. The rules are the rules!! Maybe Dad should be setting a better example. I hope he gets his just reward.

    -- Posted by Thelastpaladin on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 12:11 PM
  • And the father of the year goes to...

    -- Posted by YNOTU2 on Wed, Apr 6, 2011, at 3:16 PM
  • Suboxone is a CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE and many of its users end up becoming addicted to it as well. It has a very low success rate, and unfortunately it's just substituting a "legal" dependency for an illegal one. If this inmate really needed this drug, he would have been able to get a prescription to be administered by the prison nurse at the appropriate times. I don't believe the father, in any way, was doing the right thing. Unless, of course, he is completely blind to his son's issues.

    -- Posted by taxpayer21 on Fri, Apr 8, 2011, at 11:48 AM
  • Benedick and BrazilResidents... you obviously don't understand how the drug industry works.

    -- Posted by Clovertucky on Fri, Apr 8, 2011, at 3:09 PM
  • The first comments are of that jaded mindset that no one is ever to blame for their own actions, its always the failing of "the system" or society that lead them to their woeful state, or why they don't get better. Never that 8 years later, they're still the loser they were when they went in.

    At some point, the individual has to want to be better, the bleeding hearts can't do it for them, no matter how much they believe they can.

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Sat, Apr 9, 2011, at 12:07 AM
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