PRISON BEEFS UP SEARCH POLICY

Even judges can expect to be patted down when entering New Plymouth Prison,
now that random searches for drugs have been extended to all members of the
community.

New Plymouth Prison manager Lance Kennedy yesterday welcomed the new policy
implemented this week, aimed at cutting down on drugs in prisons.

It would also protect staff members and their families from being pressured
by inmates to bring them drugs as had happened in other areas, Mr Kennedy said.

"What we're doing is taking the risk away.

"With staff not being searched, inmates could target staff or families of
staff to bring drugs into the prisons. If we take that avenue away from
them, then that's nothing but a bonus," he said.

The latest policy meant all entrants to a prison site could be searched,
including staff, managers, judges, police, overseas delegates, service
providers and statutory visitors such as MPs.

"We will test everyone, me included.

"I'll be the first in line, closely followed by my manager Gordon Ngatai."

Judges and JPs could well be searched because they visited New Plymouth
Prison each month during New Zealand Parole Board hearings, Mr Kennedy said.

Should that visit coincide with the time and date of the random search,
then they would not be exempt, Mr Kennedy said.

Prison authorities were well aware drugs were getting to inmates but search
efforts had previously concentrated on the inmates' visitors.

During 2002 about 5000 visitors' vehicles were searched at prisons across
the country.

This resulted in 80 arrests and the seizure of drugs, drug paraphernalia
and weapons.

Since Mr Kennedy took over as manager last August, five visitors had been
banned from the prison either because of cannabis in their vehicles or
refusing to be searched.

Random urine testing of inmates often returned a positive test for cannabis
and New Plymouth inmates regularly had one of the highest positive test rates.

About 100 drug tests were carried out within New Plymouth Prison each year.

"It's a problem for every prison," Mr Kennedy said.

"But it's particularly difficult in New Plymouth because of the central site.

"It's easy enough for people to walk up to the wall and throw things over
but we have systems in place to try to detect that with security patrols,
vehicle checkpoints and security cameras."

A prison could be compared with a supermarket, he said. It had all the
dealers, suppliers and customers within it, "and we're trying to discourage
drug use because of the cognitive effects and also drug users tend to
commit crimes to support their habit.

"It's a major focus of ours to try to reduce drugs coming into the prison
and drugs being used inside the prison."

All prisoners with an identified need were offered drug and alcohol
programmes, Mr Kennedy said.