Pubdate: Tue, 17 Apr 2007
Source: Advertiser, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2007 Advertiser Newspapers Ltd
Contact: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/opinion/sendletter
Website: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1
Author: Sam Riches, Police Reporter

UNIT TARGETS DRUGS IN JAILS

DRUG trafficking in prisons is about to get even harder, with a
specialised police branch targeting the state's nine prisons to be
fully operational by June. The Police Corrections Section is aimed at
targeting crime - particularly drug-related offences - inside prisons
and will work directly with the DCS's Operations Security and
Intelligence and Investigation Units. Lobbing drug-filled tennis balls
over razorwire fences remains a common, but unsuccessful, method of
attempting to smuggle banned items inside state prisons.

Mailing items to prisons also rates highly, along with trading via
hugging and kissing or hiding quantities in clothing.

"Visitations are the most common method of attempting to introduce
contraband into a prison," a Department for Correctional Services
spokesman said. "Throwing contraband over the walls, while still
common, can be less successful because a regular part of a
Correctional Services officer's shift involves routine checking of
prison grounds for contraband that's been thrown over walls or fences."

Detection methods also include visitor screening, metal detectors and
searches, intelligence-driven investigations and the increasing use of
Passive Alert Detection dogs. In 2006, 50 visitors were charged with
attempting to smuggle drugs inside prisons and 650 drug-related
incidents were reported.

DCS figures show that for the 2005-06 financial year, police reported
or charged 24 visitors for drug-related offences and the DCS banned 36
people on suspicion of drug offences while 193 people were banned in
total for various reasons.

Five people attempted to use fake identification to enter state
prisons. In 2004-05, 51 visitors were reported or charged by police,
73 were banned by DCS officers on suspicion of drug offences and 275
in total were banned from visiting prisons.

As well as drugs, contraband includes weapons, pornographic material,
cameras, mobile phones, SIM cards, two-way radios, money and books,
and any materials that give instructions on how to escape or make
explosives and weapons. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake