Pubdate: Thu, 30 Dec 2004
Source: Evening Times (UK)
Copyright: 2004 Newsquest (Herald & Times) Limited
Contact:  http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3252
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

HALF OF ALL PRISONERS ADMIT TAKING DRUGS IN JAIL

MORE than half of Scotland's prisoners have taken drugs while they
were in jail.

And three-quarters of prisoners said mandatory drug testing had made
no difference to their use of drugs in jail.

The figures were disclosed in the annual survey of prisoners' views,
published today by the Scottish Prison Service.

Tories used the findings to claim the Executive was failing to get to
grips with the problem of drugs in prison.

Tory deputy leader Annabel Goldie said: "It is time for this
Labour-Lib Dem Executive to stop wallowing in its complacency, adopt a
zero tolerance policy on drugs and make prisons entirely drugs-free
areas.

"The people of Scotland will justifiably wonder how we can tackle the
scourge of drugs in society when this Executive cannot even control
them in prisons."

The survey suggests that four out of five prisoners had used drugs in
the 12-months before they were sent to jail.

This, said the survey, is in line with statistics which show more than
75% of people entering custody are found with drugs in their system at
the point of reception.

Some 55% of prisoners said they had used illegal drugs in prison at
some point in the past.

But most had changed their drug use during their current spell in
prison - 73% said they were taking fewer drugs, 17% said they had
increased drugs use, and 10% reported no change.

Half of all prisoners had taken drugs in the month before the survey,
with 78% of these taking cannabis and 63% heroin.

Mandatory testing began in prisons in 1994 to identify drug-users and
offer them help.

The Scottish Executive rejected the Tory criticism.

An Executive spokesman said: "The suggestion we are not taking action
against drugs and the misery they cause is risible. Drugs misuse
continues to scar Scotland's communities but we are seeing real signs
of progress.

"We take very seriously the problem of drugs misuse wherever it
occurs, including prisons."
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MAP posted-by: Derek