PRESS RELEASE

February 24th, 2010

Prison habit

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil believes a new approach has to be taken on drugs in prison after it was revealed a seizure is made at least once a week in HMP Greenock.

The Scottish Prison Service revealed this week that 1,829 drugs finds were made in the country’s prisons in 2009, roughly five a day.

The figures also show that more than a quarter of inmates tested positive for drugs on release from prison.

In Greenock prison, there were 62 seizures during a 12-month period.

The MSP called for the Scottish Government to take action to rid prison of drugs.

He said: “It is time for a tough approach - if visitors are caught bringing drugs to prison they should be prosecuted and we need to see a far tougher search regime to root drugs out of our prisons.

"At the moment there is only one drug free wing in the Scottish prison estate, surely these should be rolled out in other prison, including HMP Greenock.

"Instead of trying to empty our prisons of convicted muggers, knife criminals and house breakers by abolishing short sentences, Kenny MacAskill should focus on trying to empty them of illegal drugs.

ENDS