Rise in contraband seized in Irish prisons

in the first 10 months of this year, there were 1,008 drug seizures and 967 mobile phones confiscated, as well as 255 weapons and almost 300 litres of alcohol, or 'hooch'.

The amount of contraband items, including drugs, seized in Irish prisons has risen this year, with the Irish Prison Service saying it is down to higher detection levels sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Figures provided by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) to the Irish Examiner show that in the first 10 months of this year, there were 1,008 drug seizures and 967 mobile phones confiscated, as well as 255 weapons and almost 300 litres of alcohol, or 'hooch'.

However, the pandemic and associated restrictions have thrown a light on how such items make it into prisons.

At different times during the year, and particularly during the first wave, stringent visitor restrictions meant contact with families was made via video link.

A spokesperson for the IPS said: "While the statistics haven’t changed significantly, the story behind the figures have. The suspension of visits for significant periods during the year as a result of Covid-19 has forced a shift in the methods used for getting drugs into the prison.

"There has been a significant increase in the number of 'throw overs', ie contacts on the outside attempting to throw mobile phone and drugs into exercise yards, particularly in our Dublin prisons, in the absence of visits.

"The restrictions on prisoner movement inside the prison and the reduced numbers of prisoners permitted to access yards in particular as a result of Covid-19 control measures has facilitated prison staff in identifying and confiscating 'throw-overs' much more quickly, and crucially, before prisoners can gather them."

Figures show that Wheatfield Prison, with 479, accounted for about half of all mobile phone seizures this year, while 411 drug seizures were made there.

The prison with the next highest level of contraband seizures was Mountjoy, with 230 drug seizures, 171 mobile phones confiscated, along with 172 litres of alcohol, followed by Cloverhill, with 168 mobile phones confiscated and 158 drug seizures.

The IPS said gardaí had provided significant support to its Operational Support Group staff, particularly in Wheatfield and Cloverhill, in tackling throw-overs, with a number of arrests made in the course of the year.

According to the IPS spokesman: "The volume of drugs found in post, parcels, and prisoner clothing using the postal system, has also increased as a result of the suspension of visits. 

"The recent deployment of drugs-trace detection machines has proved particularly effective in identifying trace amounts of drugs such as W18 and fentanyl which are sprayed onto letters, newspapers, and other prisoner property. These drugs are particularly dangerous and the families and friends of prisoners should be aware of the significant risks to people in custody."

This resulted in the rolling out of a bespoke overdose prevention campaign that reached every prisoner and ranged from a televised video made by prisoners broadcast to all in-cell TVs, in-cell leaflet drops, general and targeted peers-to-peer information, information campaigns by healthcare and counselling staff directly with prisoners, a prison-wide poster campaign in all prisoner areas, and also a poster and leaflet campaign for visitors resuming physical visits to the prisons.