In the interests of balance and objectivity I am bound to report that New Plymouth prison has apparently found the
key to keeping prisons drug-free. Closer work with police, greater use of drug dogs but most particularly the confiscation of mobile phones. Good work.
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That is a good news story, Lindsay, and one being repeated around much of the country. The investment in greater security and detection over the past decade is having a marked effect. However, there remains a couple of fundamental holes in the ring of security around our prisons: prisoners going out and visitors going in. And, frankly, the benefits of having low-risk prisoners and nearing release getting involved in work schemes outweighs the risks of them muling contraband into prisons. Similarly, maintaining a prisoner's contact with their family is likely to help the reintegration back into society. Not that the prison system simply shrugs its shoulders and thinks that it can't be bothered trying to stop contraband coming through from visitors or prisoners working outside of the wire. There's a very strong focus on searching visitors and work release prisoners. But it's a constant battle.
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