For Immediate Release 2 October 2009

With friends like these…

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Cell Phone Concealed in Sandwich

More than 1200 visitors and over 800 vehicles were searched at random prison checkpoints at Spring Hill Corrections Facility in August and September, with one man arrested while picking up a friend being released that day, highlighting persistent efforts by the Department to prevent contraband getting to prisoners.

“Prison Check Points (PCP’s) are set up on the road leading into the facility, and are conducted regularly by every prison around the country. Drug dog teams, custodial staff and Police search prisoners’ visitors and their vehicles as well as contractors and staff coming onto the site - every person is subject to the same treatment,” says Prison Manager Gavin Dalziel.

“Sometimes a drug dog will give an indication of drugs in a vehicle, sometimes we find the items through old fashioned thorough searching. We’ve seen all the tricks – weapons stashed behind door panels, drugs in the toddlers teddy bear, shoes with the soles stuffed with cellphones. Prisoners put a lot of pressure on their friends and families to bring in contraband items in for them, and its our job to find them and get rid of them.”

“As a result of the excellent work by staff conducting searches, the prison issued exclusion notices to 15 visitors – preventing them from entering prison property for up to 12 months, warned more then 50 people for items uncovered and Police arrested three people and laid criminal charges against them.”

One of the three, the man at the prison to pick up his friend being released, is now in Corrections custody facing a number of charges for driving while disqualified, possession of methamphetamine, syringes and other paraphernalia including blood soaked wipes.

“As well as searching those entering the site – staff also carry out routine cell, prisoner and mail searches, and the last two months have seen prisoners go to desperate lengths to conceal items – with staff even finding a cellphone concealed in an old sandwich in one unit, as well as rags for strapping items to the body and Glad Wrap for wrapping items to be concealed internally,” says Mr Dalziel.

“Drugs and weapons making their way into the hands of prisoners is extremely dangerous for other prisoners, our staff and in rare cases, the public. It is unacceptable and the exact reason we continue to be vigilant. In addition to three visitors being arrested and facing criminal charges laid by Police, we issued more then fifty exclusion notices - banning people from visiting the prison, and warned over fifty others for inappropriate items we found.”

“The message is clear to both prisoners attempting to get drugs sent in to them, and members of the public sending them. We will find them, we will give them to the Police, and you will get caught.”

ENDS

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