Prisons' mark success in drugs finds

Prison authorities have made 346 drugs finds in Northern Ireland prisons over the past year, it has been revealed.

The Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, Peter Russell, who took over from Robin Halward in May this year, said that there were "many successes" in combating drug abuse in prisons. However, the Prison Service did fail to meet some government targets on security and safety.

Commenting on the publication of the Prison Services annual report for 2001/2002, Mr Russell said: “The Service’s work in tackling drug misuse in prisons and establishing regimes designed to encourage prisoners to address their offending behaviour and reduce the risk of re-offending are particularly noteworthy.

"Drug detection dogs, now operating at each establishment, have also had a major impact on the amount of drugs finding their way into prisons," he added.

Mr Russell said that the service would strive to reduce re-offending behaviour whilst also providing the public with value for money.

“Society expects us to make a difference. We must continue to work with others towards reducing the risk of re-offending and help prisoners maximise their potential on release," he said.

“We must also continue to reduce costs while providing the taxpayer with value for money."

Security Minister Jane Kennedy welcomed the report, describing the Prison Service's record against the government targets as "creditable".

"These figures reflect a creditable performance by the service, achieved against a backdrop of reducing costs," she said.

The Prison Service achieved nine of the 11 Key Performance Targets and 22 of the development objectives with significant progress on the remaining six, the Minister said.

(GMcG)