Cassondra Workman, 25, was charged with felony illegal conveyance into a facility May 21 after being taken to the jail by Troy police who arrested her on a warrant out of Clark County.

The New Carlisle woman convicted of concealing an unloaded .22-caliber pistol in her bra in the Miami County Jail in May will spend the next 18 months in the Ohio Reformatory for Women.

Cassondra Workman, 25, was charged with felony illegal conveyance into a facility May 21 after being taken to the jail by Troy police who arrested her on a warrant out of Clark County. 

She was sentenced by Common Pleas Judge Jeannine Pratt, who told Workman her behavior was "flat out dangerous."

Paul Watkins, assistant county prosecutor, said the scenario involving Workman was "the worst fear" of jail correction workers. "The message needs to be sent that safety, not only of correction officers but also jail inmates, is priority," he said.

Workman said she had made "bad choices," but had been "working really hard to be where I need to be."

Pratt said her record included felony child endangering convictions along with theft and criminal trespass before the gun incident.

Sheriff’s department reports said Workman told them she was able to conceal the weapon in her clothing and then in the shower before concealing it in the waistband of her jail uniform. Reports said Workman was placed in the jail indoor rec area to wait until Clark County deputies arrived. Before being transferred to those deputies, she changed back into her clothing in a shower room and said she put the gun in her bra at that time.

A Clark County deputy patting down Workman before leaving the jail, found the firearm in her bra, took possession of it and told corrections staff. 

Workman pleaded guilty Aug. 15 in Miami County Common Pleas Court.

Miami County Sheriff Dave Duchak said an administrative review of the incident showed Workman likely concealed the gun between her thighs and, after the jail search, inserted the pistol into her bra. She was never put into the jail’s general population, he said.

The correction officer was new and the sheriff attributed the incident to human error and negligence. The officer received corrective action, he said.

A body scanner recently installed at the jail will assist in averting similar situations, Duchak said. Training on scanner use began this week.

The sheriff said he hoped the unit will be in use in early October.

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