17 April
A contractor working at Waikeria Prison was stopped at the gate on Wednesday in possession of a small quantity of cannabis.
Acting Assistant Regional Manager Central Dianne Brophy says this incident underlines the fact that everyone who enters the prison is under scrutiny in the effort to detect and stop contraband.
“The Department is committed to intercepting contraband and apprehending those that try to smuggle it in.
“It’s not just prisoners we focus our searches on. Anyone who comes through the prison gates has the potential to smuggle in contraband so we check them all.
“In this instance it was a contractor who makes deliveries to the prison. Our drug-dog handler suspected something was amiss during a routine search when he noticed the contractor’s defensive body-language.
“After further questioning the contractor admitted he had a small supply of cannabis in his vehicle. There was no evidence to suggest that this was being smuggled into the prison for a prisoner. The contractor has since been banned from the prison."
Ms Brophy says stopping contraband is only half the equation; there is also the need to stop the demand for drugs in prison.
“Waikeria has a Drug Treatment Unit (DTU) which provides specialist treatment to prisoners with severe alcohol and drug addictions.
“There is a proven history of getting prisoners off drugs through the DTU treatment programme. The programme is incredibly successful and has seen drug use in prisons plummet.”
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