Officer, inmate charged in Wilmington prison drug smuggling case

Three people, including a correctional officer and an inmate, have been charged in connection with a drug smuggling operation at Wilmington's Howard R. Young Correctional Institution.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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Police say an officer, inmate and third suspect ran a drug smuggling operation inside Wilmington's Howard Young prison from December into January. The investigation found the officer accepted payments from the inmate to deliver narcotics into the prison. The three suspects have been charged with multiple felonies, including organized crime and racketeering, drug charges and conspiracy.

Why it matters

This case highlights ongoing challenges with contraband and drug smuggling in prisons, which can pose serious risks to the safety and wellbeing of correctional staff, visitors and inmates. It also raises questions about oversight and accountability measures within the prison system.

The details

Starting in December, police said Correctional Officer Rashod Hull, 34, accepted payments from Isaiah Boykin, a 30-year-old inmate at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution. The payments were for Hull to deliver narcotics into the prison. Investigators also learned Hull and Boykin were working with Autumn James, a 35-year-old woman from Conowingo, Maryland, who was helping complete the exchange of drugs. On Feb. 1, detectives witnessed "a drug transaction between Hull and James" at a shopping center and arrested them shortly after.

  • The drug smuggling operation ran from December into January.
  • On Jan. 16, Delaware Department of Correction officials contacted state police regarding a possible drug smuggling operation.
  • On Feb. 1, detectives witnessed "a drug transaction between Hull and James" at a shopping center.
  • On Feb. 3, Boykin was charged and remains in custody on $640,000 cash bail.

The players

Rashod Hull

A 34-year-old correctional officer at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution who accepted payments from an inmate to deliver narcotics into the prison.

Isaiah Boykin

A 30-year-old inmate at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution who paid a correctional officer to smuggle drugs into the prison.

Autumn James

A 35-year-old woman from Conowingo, Maryland who helped complete the exchange of drugs between the correctional officer and the inmate.

Terra Taylor

The Department of Correction Commissioner who stated that contraband poses a risk to the safety, health and wellbeing of correctional staff, visitors and inmates.

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What they’re saying

“The DOC remains vigilant to counter this threat with significant tools at our disposal to root out and stop contraband flow, whatever the source and we appreciate the strong support from our law enforcement partners in this effort. We will continue to reinforce our high standards of conduct and integrity and hold individuals fully accountable to those standards.”

— Terra Taylor, Department of Correction Commissioner (delawareonline.com)

What’s next

The judge will decide on Rashod Hull's bail on Tuesday.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing challenges of contraband and drug smuggling in prisons, which can compromise the safety and wellbeing of correctional staff, visitors and inmates. It underscores the need for robust oversight, accountability measures and collaboration between prison authorities and law enforcement to address this persistent issue.