YOUNGSTOWN A former maintenance worker at the Trumbull County Correctional Institution was sentenced Thursday to 30 months in federal prison for attempting to smuggle drugs and a cell phone to an inmate.

U.S. District Court Judge Dan Aaron Polster handed down the sentence to James P. Jackson of Niles. In addition to the prison term, Jackson was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and serve three years of supervised release.

Jackson pleaded guilty in July to one count of extortion.

According to court documents, Jackson used his position as a maintenance worker to agree to smuggle contraband into the Leavittsburg facility in February 2024. Prosecutors said Jackson agreed to deliver two packages containing a cell phone, SIM cards, and drugs to an inmate.

The packages contained 98 grams of methamphetamine, 208 grams of synthetic cannabinoid, and 33 grams of PCP. Investigators said Jackson sought a $2,000 payment from a family member of the inmate in exchange for the delivery.

As a maintenance employee, Jackson had access to areas of the prison that are not open to the public, including inmate cells.

Jackson attempted to withdraw his guilty plea in early November, but withdrew that request on Nov. 19, allowing the sentencing to proceed as scheduled.

Judge Polster ordered Jackson to surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service by noon on Feb. 13, 2026, to begin serving his sentence.