STONED INMATES CHATTING ON CELLPHONES AT LONDON’S BRIXTON PRISON

Apparently security at this British prison is rather lax since drugs and cellphones are readily available to the inmates. PACOVILLA’s Jeff Doyle says the lax inmate-centered modality employed in the UK is the direction California corrections “is slouching.”

SO MUCH CANNABIS BEING SMOKED AT BRIXTON PRISON THAT OFFICERS’ CLOTHES SMELL OF IT, WATCHDOG REVEALS
'Major concern': the watchdog says the availability of drugs in Brixton prison is helping to fuel gambling, indebtedness, bullying and intimidation

By Martin Bentham

London Evening Standard
November 22, 2013

So much cannabis was being smoked by inmates during inspections at a London prison that guards’ clothes smelt of the drug, an official watchdog revealed today.

A report says that the availability of drugs in Brixton prison is a “major concern” and is helping to fuel “gambling, indebtedness, bullying and intimidation” within the jail.

It says that staff shortages have stopped “suspicion” tests being carried out on inmates thought to be using drugs and also warns that “not enough action” was being taken to stop prisoners on temporary release from bringing illicit substances into the prison on their return.

The most startling disclosure, however, is that cannabis use is so extensive that the drug's distinctive aroma is tainting the clothes of those who visit its wings.

The report, by the prison’s independent monitoring board, states: “Cannabis was sometimes being smoked so much on A and B wings that officers’ and monitoring board members’ clothes smelt of it.”

The document says the availability of illegal drugs was the “fuel for much of the bullying” in the prison and that the lack of swift action to tackle the problem was a “significant failure” by staff.

It adds: “A major concern for the board this year has been the availability of illicit drugs, mobile phones, and other items of contraband. This has led to gambling, indebtedness, bullying and intimidation, resulting, in some areas, in a significant deterioration of the generally harmonious regime in the prison.”

The report states that only one sniffer dog was available at one point to check for drugs and that further “suspicion” tests were not carried out because of staff shortages. Surprise “whole wing” searches were also “less practicable” because of a lack of officers.

The report also warns that another drug, the former legal high “Spice”, which was banned in 2009, was “much in evidence” and that only limited tests to detect it were being carried out because the process was “too expensive” to do regularly.

It adds that around 10 per cent of inmates given temporary release on licence had been “reclassified” because of drug use or possession, including several who worked for the prison’s “Bad Boys Bakery” which supplies Caffe Nero outlets across London.

The board calls for “more searches of all types in future”, including of “staff and contractors”, but warns that some prisoners have now “turned to home-made hooch” as drug enforcement begins to improve.

A Prison Service spokesman said the use of drugs was taken “very seriously” and that “swift action” had been taken to tackle the problems at Brixton.

He added: “The number of prisoners testing positive for drug misuse has fallen. Offenders are well aware that anyone caught with prohibited items will face swift and robust punishment.”