COLUMBIA, S.C. — Alex Murdaugh, the disbarred attorney convicted of killing his wife and son and stealing money from clients, has now lost his prison privileges.
According to a press release from South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), inmate Richard Alexander Murdaugh has been convicted of two internal disciplinary charges – Abuse of Privileges and Unauthorized Use of an Inmate’s PIN Number.
Murdaugh had a disciplinary hearing for these charges on Aug. 28, and he lost his telephone and canteen privileges for 30 days, according to SCDC.
The charges involved providing information to be delivered to the news media for an interview and using a fellow inmate’s PIN number to make a telephone call. These charges violate SCDC’s inmate interview policy and our policy against inmates sharing PIN numbers. They are not a violation of law, but a violation of SCDC Policy.
Murdaugh provided the interview information to his attorney through a legal call, according to SCDC.
Legal calls are not recorded or monitored on the inmate phone system per attorney/client privilege. Attorney Jim Griffin recorded Murdaugh reading the information and provided it to the media, according to SCDC.
Inmates in the custody of the S.C. Department of Corrections are not allowed to do interviews.
SCDC’s interview policy is rooted in victims’ rights and is longstanding.
The department said it believes that victims of crime should not have to see or hear the person who victimized them or their family member on the news.
Inmates lose the privilege of speaking to the news media when they enter SCDC.
Tablets are designed and secured for correctional use. They are considered a privilege. The department will determine when and if inmate Murdaugh will earn the opportunity to be issued a tablet again.