Susan Smith, the notorious South Carolina mother serving a life sentence for drowning her two sons in 1995, has been convicted of a new disciplinary charge just weeks before her first parole hearing. Smith, now 53, was convicted on October 3 of communicating with a victim or witness of a crime after speaking with a documentary filmmaker, according to Chrysti Shain, director of communications with the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), told Fox News Digital.
Smith reportedly provided the filmmaker with contact information for friends, family members, and victims, including her former husband. In return, the filmmaker deposited money into Smith’s prison account for “calls and canteen.” According to the incident report, which redacted the filmmaker’s name, the pair discussed conducting an interview and filming for a documentary, as well as how Smith might be paid for her involvement. Their conversations delved into the details of Smith’s crime, including “what was in the trunk of the car when it went into the water” and her initial plan to jump from a bridge with her sons before one of them woke up.
SCDC policy prohibits inmates from conducting interviews over the phone or in person, though they are permitted to write letters. As a result of the violation, Smith lost her telephone, tablet, and canteen privileges for 90 days, starting on October 4. While the charge is not criminal, it is an internal disciplinary conviction. This marks Smith’s first disciplinary action in nearly a decade.
“Inmates are issued tablets that are secured for correctional use. These can be used to make monitored telephone calls and send monitored electronic messages,” Shain explained. “They are considered a privilege, and the department will determine when and if inmate Smith will earn the opportunity to be issued a tablet again”, according to the New York Post.
Smith is set to become eligible for parole on November 4, 30 years after she confessed to drowning her two sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander, in a South Carolina lake. Whether this recent disciplinary charge will impact her chances of parole remains unclear.
Criminal defense attorney Philip Holloway told Fox News Digital that her early release is “unlikely,” citing the horrific nature of her crime. “I expect that she would be denied parole. It’s unlikely she would be released into society,” Holloway said.