100+ visitors vehicles searched at prison

Visitors to prisoners at Spring Hill Corrections Facility yesterday were subject to stringent searches for drugs, weapons and other contraband before they were allowed into the prison.

Corrections custodial staff, drug dog teams and Police searched 110 vehicles and 182 individuals, culminating Police cautioning two people for possession of cannabis, six visitors being issued exclusion notices preventing them from visiting the prison for up to twelve months and 16 people being warned because of items in their vehicles that should not be bought onto prison property.

Methamphetamine, knives, cellphones, alcohol, bullets, cannabis and a replica gun have all been found by staff searching visitors to Spring Hill Corrections Facility in the last two months.

Almost 1000 visitors and over 500 vehicles were stopped at random prison checkpoints in April and May.

Prison Checkpoints are set up on the road leading into the facility, and are conducted regularly by every prison around the country to search anyone visiting the site and their vehicle. Staff have seen visitors attempt every trick in the book to get contraband to prisoners – some even stooping as low as planting drugs inside a baby’s nappy.

“The demand for drugs in prison is high and unfortunately prisoners put a lot of pressure on their friends and family to smuggle it in for them. It is our job to keep it out,” says Assistant Regional Manager Vicky Muir.

“Obviously 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. This is unacceptable and the exact reason why we continue to be vigilant in our searches and in taking action against people stupid enough to think that they will get away with it.”

ENDS

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