PRISON OFFICERS ADMIT THEY CANNOT STEM TIDE OF DRUGS

PRISON officers' leaders last night admitted nothing could be done to stop
the flow of drugs into Scottish jails.

Drug-related problems, including violence and suicides, are on the increase
as inmates and their relatives exploit the more relaxed regimes now
operating in prisons.

Derek Turner, general secretary of the Scottish Prison Officers'
Association, told the Scottish parliament's home affairs committee that it
was virtually "impossible" to eradicate drugs from prisons.

He said that cunning drug-runners had ensured drugs were common in prisons
even during the more draconian custody system operated throughout the
Eighties.

Mr Turner described how friends of one inmate at Peterhead Prison evaded
detection after throwing a dead seagull stuffed with drugs over the wall of
the compound.

He told the home affairs committee in Edinburgh yesterday: "The more you
give [prisoners] contact to the outside world, the more opportunity there
are for drugs to be introduced toprisons.

"We want to see a relaxed regime with family contact, but we want to guard
prisoners against drugs. It is a very difficult line for prison officers to
walk.

"It does seem that because you work in a secure environment it should be
drugs free, but you have to recognise the methods of introducing drugs into
prisons can be quiteingenious."

Mr Turner said drugs were taken into Scottish prisons in the nappies of
babies and often they were passed from mouth to mouth by visitor to inmate.

He said finding a solution to the growing drugs problem in Scotland's prison
"depends on what society wants from prison officers".

When prisons were run on a considerably stricter basis it prompted riots and
hostage-taking which created disruption throughout the prison service.

Mr Turner went on: "We are never going to stop the input of drugs as long as
we have a contact point between visitors and inmates.

"We have got to recognise that, unless we put in very draconian measures, we
are not going to stop it at all."

The regime in prisons during the 1980s was considerably stricter than today,
but even then inmates managed to continue their supply of drugs using
ingenious measures to evade the prison authorities.

Mr Turner described one incident at Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow when
visitors inserted long syringes through metal grilles to inject prisoners
with drugs.

The committee was told that prison officers in Scotland are demoralised and
often suffer from bullying and fromvictimisation.

Mr Turner's fears that the drugs problem in prisons could begin to run out
of control were echoed by Clive Fairweather, the Chief Inspector of Prisons
in Scotland.

He appeared before the home affairs committee yesterday to appeal for more
resources to be made available to combat drug abuse among young offenders.

Mr Fairweather said now that overcrowding in Scotland's prisons was almost
entirely eradicated a new opportunity was emerging to tackle drugs.

He said drugs were now the biggest problem in the penal system and
questioned the purpose of short term sentences for offenders such as fine
defaulters. Mr Fairweather also again called for a drastic reduction in the
number of women - whom he called "pretty damaged goods" - being held at
Cornton Vale, Scotland's women's prison which has been dogged by high
numbers of suicides.

Mr Fairweather added: "Drug misuse is probably the biggest problem in the
prison service. Now overcrowding is coming to an end there is a window of
opportunity for staff to concentrate far more on rehabilitation. We can
still do more to try and reduce habits so when they come out of prison they
are less likely to return to drug-related crimes.

"Here in Scotland we are now moving out of 19th century conditions. Prisons
may soon be described as fit for the 21st century, provided programmes
aren't disrupted by a return to serious overcrowding."

He said a reduction in female prisoners and a more coherent policy on
dealing with young offenders "would not compromise public safety and could
save young lives".

During the committee, the new chief executive of the Scottish Prison
Service, Tony Cameron, confirmed that Longriggend institution would be shut
down. Mr Fairweather had recommended it was shut down along with Low Moss
Prison, near Bishopbriggs, Glasgow.

However, Mr Cameron said Low Moss would remain open but would be improved.