A Los Angeles teacher has been charged with smuggling heroin and cellphones to a San Quentin inmate on death row for eight murders.

Teri Orina Nichols, 47, of Bellflower, is free on bail and scheduled to return for arraignment Sept. 13. She could face up to four years in jail under the charges, said Deputy District Attorney Kevin O’Hara.

Nichols was arrested at the prison on Thursday during a visit with Bruce Millsap, a member of the East Coast Crips gang. Millsap, 50, was condemned in 2000 for a series of murders and robberies in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties.

During the visit, a prison officer noticed plastic bags in the trash can of a visiting chamber occupied only by Nichols and Millsap. The bags were inconsistent with any packaging from snacks available from the vending machines, so officers removed Millsap for a strip search. The search turned up no contraband.

Officers then asked Nichols whether she would consent to a search, according to a prison arrest report. Nichols admitted to bringing food for Millsap in the plastic bags. She also produced a large cloth beanie under her clothing that contained 18 cellphones, 18 cellphone chargers, two unidentified blue pills and about 3 ounces of heroin, the prison alleges.

Nichols was arrested and booked into Marin County Jail, then released on bail. On Friday morning, the Marin County District Attorney’s Office filed a felony charge of bringing heroin into prison and a misdemeanor charge of smuggling cellphones to an inmate.

“We are evaluating how she was successful in circumventing our security measures,” said prison Lt. Samuel Robinson.

Last week, the Los Angeles Times reported that the prison’s security procedures do not appear to be stopping the flow of illegal drugs. The newspaper reported that six death row inmates died between 2010 and 2015 with detectable levels of methamphetamines, heroin metabolites or other drugs in their systems. The report also documented eight non-fatal drug overdoses on death row during that period.

Nichols could not be reached for comment. The prison described her as an “assistant teacher” at the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The school district, reached late Friday afternoon, did not provide information over the weekend regarding Nichols’ employment status and length of tenure.