HEROIN-RICH PRISON IS SUPERMARKET FOR JUNKIES, COURT HEARS

* Expert witness report tells how inmates continued to supply from jail

* Blamed on prison service adandoning 'zero-tolerance' approach to drugs

* Solicitor likens putting addict in prison to putting 'child in a
sweetie shop'

Key quote

"The prison service started to allow inmates to use methadone, the
heroin substitute. That was a bad idea. They turned their back on the
zero-tolerance approach to drugs and this is the result." - CLIVE
FAIRWEATHER, FORMER CHIEF INSPECTOR OF PRISONS

Story in full

A SCOTTISH jail is so awash with heroin that visitors use it like a
"drugs supermarket" and turn up to buy their fix, a court was told yesterday.

Expert witness William Percy said drug users living around Castle
Huntly prison, near Dundee, often buy heroin from dealers within the jail.

In a report to Perth Sheriff Court yesterday, Mr Percy said: "Some
institutions, such as Castle Huntly, have such an abundance of
diamorphine [heroin] that local drug users are entering the grounds
to purchase drugs from the inmates."

Clive Fairweather, the former chief inspector of Scotland's prisons,
last night blamed the prison service for becoming "soft on drugs" -
something they were warned about four years ago.

"The prison service started to allow inmates to use methadone, the
heroin substitute. That was a bad idea. They turned their back on the
zero-tolerance approach to drugs and this is the result."

Mr Percy's report was presented to the court during the case of
Charles Christie - who continued dealing heroin after being locked up
on drugs charges.

Christie, 24, from Dundee, was caught dealing heroin while he was
being held on remand at Perth Prison awaiting sentence on identical charges.

He has nearly 50 previous convictions for violence, theft and
motoring offences, and admitted being concerned in the supply of
heroin within Perth Prison on 21 May. He had 28-month and nine-month
sentences imposed for drug dealing and yesterday had a further 32
months added to his jail term.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher told him: "You were concerned in the supply
of Class A drugs inside the prison, which this court regards as an
extremely serious matter.

"The amount of drugs is substantial, particularly for the prison. I
have no alternative but to deal with it by way of a custodial sentence."

Mr Percy had been scheduled to give evidence, but his report was
presented to the court when Christie pleaded guilty.

The drugs expert explained that heroin now costs the equivalent of
one-third of its price a decade ago, despite massive seizures by
police across the UK.

Mr Percy, a former Tayside Police, Scottish Crime Squad and National
Criminal Intelligence Service officer, said A#238 million worth of
heroin was recovered during 2000.

"This appears to have had no impact on street values of the drug as
they have continued to fall," he explained.

"Taking account of inflation, diamorphine costs in the region of one
third of what it did ten years ago."

Mr Percy said the drugs were often smuggled in at admission, thrown
over the wall or even supplied by prison staff.

In recent weeks, the same court was told by several prisoners that
they absconded to avoid the vast amount of drugs within Castle Huntly.

In one case, solicitor Billy Somerville told the court that putting a
drug addict in Castle Huntly was like putting a "child in a sweetie shop".