A former Halawa Correctional Facility guard pleaded guilty Tuesday to smuggling meth­am­pheta­mine into the institution.

Mark Damas entered his plea in federal court in Hono­lulu to charges involving meth distribution conspiracy and receiving bribes to smuggle contraband into the prison. He is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.

Damas told the judge he obtained drugs outside the prison facility and delivered them to inmates. He said he accepted at least $5,000 in bribes. A criminal complaint also said Damas took bribes to smuggle in items such as cigarettes, lighters and drug paraphernalia.

Co-defendant Charlotte Curry pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute meth­am­pheta­mine and one count of possession with intent to distribute the drug. In her plea agreement, Curry admitted giving meth to Damas to smuggle into Halawa. Both defendants will be sentenced Nov. 10.

Earlier this month another former Halawa guard, James San­ders, was sentenced to four years in prison for accepting bribes to smuggle in drugs.

State officials said Tuesday a crackdown on corrupt guards is reducing the amount of drugs in prison.

Public Safety Director Ted Sakai said Tuesday the state is making an effort to root out contraband by working with federal and local law enforcement. He said in a statement that the arrest of 17 inmates and seven staff in the past year shows the efforts are working.

Toni Schwartz, Department of Public Safety spokes­woman, said the rate of prisoners who test positive in drug tests at the prison fell in the second half of the one-year period that ended last month. In the first six months, 13 percent tested positive while in the second six months, 6 percent tested positive.

"We attributed that to, probably, to the arrests," Schwartz said. Each month, Halawa tests about 15 percent of its 1,000 prisoners.

In an effort to keep guards from bringing in contraband, their property is searched but not their person. Schwartz said the department is talking with the union representing prison guards about possibly searching individuals.

But prisoners and their accomplices use other methods to get contraband into the prison, such as hiding it in supplies brought into the prison or having someone leave contraband disguised as rubbish on the ground outside the prison.

Schwartz said the prison’s no-contact policy has discouraged visitors from bringing contraband into the prison, and that some have turned to the mail to try to get in banned items.

On May 1 the prison began a no-contact visitation policy, implemented by a wall with Plexiglas windows that separate visitors from prisoners.

Since it took effect, prison staff have three times confiscated cigarettes or drugs from mailed items. The number of incidents before the no-contact policy was not immediately available, but Schwartz said prison staff could not recall intercepting contraband in mail during the 10 months preceeding the start of the no-contact policy.

"They’ll always try to find a way," Schwartz said. "It’s slowing down, but they’ll continue trying and we’ll have to continue watching."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.