COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina prison officials have for years blamed cellphones for contributing to inmate violence. After a bloody riot at a maximum-security prison last weekend that left seven inmates dead, they find themselves once again asking federal officials to grant waivers and change laws to let them block the signals of these contraband devices.

Gov. Henry McMaster has eased hiring rules for new corrections officers. He says an officer shortage allows contraband to flow freely into the state's prisons, provoking often deadly inmate battles.

But some who've spent time in and around these institutions say contraband is so plentiful it is rarely the cause of violent disputes. They also say the problem stems from the inaction and collusion of currently employed correctional officers, not a shortage of employees.