NUMBERS CAUGHT SMUGGLING DRUGS INTO CITY'S PRISON SOARS

SAUGHTON Prison has seen a surge in the number of wives and
girlfriends caught smuggling drugs into the jail. More than 80 women
were charged by police in the past four years, compared with just
four arrests in the two preceding years. But prison bosses put the
increase down to their greater success at catching the smugglers.

Police charged 20 women last year with taking drugs into Saughton
Prison, compared with 12 in 2006, 21 in 2005 and 32 in 2004. Only
three were caught in 2003 and one in 2002.

One inmate today claimed drug use at Saughton had reached "epidemic"
proportions.

The prisoner said that around half a dozen dealers controlled the
drug trade inside Saughton, where a gram of heroin is sold for
UKP150. A gram on the streets of Edinburgh would normally sell for
UKP30. The inmate, who asked not to be named, said: "The heroin
problem in Saughton is massive.

"There are five or six guys who deal all the drugs. Some of them even
commit petty offences to get put inside because it's so lucrative.
They can get five times the street value for heroin.

"Families and friends pay for the drugs on the outside but some
people build up big debts on credit.

"Getting drugs is no problem in here and the prison guards look the other way.

"It's less hassle for them if prisoners spend the whole day in their
cells like zombies."

The prisoner also alleged that weapons were easily smuggled into the
jail, including knives, knuckle dusters and even, recently, a Taser stun gun.

He said: "Getting weapons is also easy. I've even heard there's a
Taser going about. It's just a matter of time before someone gets a
gun inside."

Assistant secretary of the Scottish Prison Officers' Association,
Derek Turner, said: "People trying to smuggle drugs into prison has
been a problem for many years.

"Obviously prison officers have to be compassionate because the
visitors are not the ones who have committed an offence - but they
have to be vigilant. Every prison establishment has problems with drugs use."

He added: "We would like to have more staff to monitor security, but
in these days of efficiency savings that's not always possible."

A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said that the rising
numbers of women being caught was down to tougher security measures.

"In recent years, greater efforts have been made to target people
bringing in contraband," he said.

"That has included working in cooperation with other enforcement
agencies to produce an intelligence-led approach. As a result, more
people are being caught."

There were almost 300 drug finds at Saughton - more than any other
jail in Scotland - in the 15 months up to April last year.