Inmates at Tayside’s two open prisons are flooding the estates with contraband items, new figures show.
An investigation by The Courier found inmates at Castle Huntly, at Longforgan, and Noranside, near Forfar, were caught with prohibited items on at least 30 different occasions during the past year.
Among the items seized by prison staff were class A drugs, pills, drug paraphernalia, pornographic DVDs and mobile phones.
Former Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken, who has openly criticised the open estate system, said the finds made a mockery of the system.
“While I give credit to the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) for obtaining so much contraband, it is ludicrous that prisoners who have been allowed to transfer to open estates are abusing this by attempting to smuggle these items in,” he said.
“Prisoners in possession of these items should be immediately returned to closed estates.
“An obvious question I must also ask is, if these items are being found, how much is getting through unnoticed?”
Figures obtained under Freedom of Information showed that contraband items were seized on 22 occasions by staff at Castle Huntly during the past year.
One search in October last year found 28 clear capsules containing brown powder and 28gm of brown powder believed to be heroin. Later the same month an unknown quantity of white tablets, one syringe needle, five pornographic DVDs and two floppy discs were found.Drug paraphernaliaAt Noranside three small blocks of cream substance weighing 3gm and drug paraphernalia including two tooters and two burnt foils were found during a search in October last year.
In February 12 pain-killing Tramadol capsules and 23 white pills were found by prison staff.
Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker said prisoners found with prohibited items should be returned to the closed prison system.
“Clearly it is concerning that contraband substances like these are found in the possession of prisoners because they are sent to the open prison prior to their release back into the community,” he said.
“In obtaining contraband items they are continuing their offending behaviour and demonstrating they are not ready for release back into the community.”
Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Robert Brown added, “It is astonishingly difficult to keep drugs out of prisons but I am surprised at the quantities being seized at these open prisons.”
Castle Huntly and Noranside hold low-supervision adult male prisoners who have been assessed as suitable for eventual reintegration into society. They include convicted murderers and sexual offenders as well as prisoners on life sentence.
An SPS spokesman said, “The SPS has invested in modern technology including mobile trace machines to detect even the smallest amounts of illicit material. The number of contraband items seized reflects the vigilance that operates in the open estate.
“The Scottish Government has also introduced new legislation which makes possession and use of a mobile phone in prison a criminal offence with a maximum penalty of two years in prison. In addition, anyone seeking to smuggle a phone or SIM card into prison is committing an offence.
“The introduction of stiffer penalties coupled with the investment in technology, improved intelligence-gathering and a doubling in the number of sniffer dogs reflects how seriously security is taken.
“The open estate exists to test prisoners’ acceptance of responsibility and readiness to return to the community,” he added. “Where prisoners have been found with illicit material then it is almost certain that they will return to a closed prison and the police can be involved.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said, “The Scottish Government supports the SPS in its efforts to clamp down on contraband in Scottish jails.”