'Zero tolerance' on prison drugs

Mr MacAskill said drugs in prisons would not be accepted as inevitable

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has pledged a "zero tolerance" approach to drugs in prisons.

He was speaking after witnessing first hand a new model of treating drug addicts at Saughton prison, Edinburgh.

The policy integrates medical treatment with therapeutic support to help a prisoner's recovery from drug problems and rebuild their lives after prison.

Mr MacAskill said he was "fully committed to zero tolerance of illegal drug use and trafficking in prisons".

He added: "I know I am fully supported by the Scottish Prisons Service.

"The harsh fact is that two-thirds of those who enter prison have a drug problem and their crime is often associated with funding their addiction.

"Nevertheless drugs in prison will not be tolerated nor will it be accepted as an inevitable fact of life, irrespective of the present difficulties."

In the past three months, prison officers at Saughton have intercepted or found more than 50g of class A drugs and 76 mobile phones, which can be used in drug trafficking.

The new integrated approach to treating addicts at Saughton prison was highlighted in the Scottish Government's recent drugs strategy.

"If the evaluation is successful, all prisons will begin to work this way later this year," the cabinet secretary added.

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