Life in Open Prisons 'Leads to Drug Taking'
Posted on: Thursday, 27 October 2005, 09:00 CDT
By Michael Howie
LIVING conditions at one of Scotland's two open prisons were yesterday condemned as a recipe for drug taking.
Andrew McLellan, the chief inspector of prisons, said a lack of proper prison work opportunities meant inmates at Castle Huntly open prison near Dundee now spent lengthy periods locked up, many in five- person dormitories that he described as dirty, dingy and claustrophobic.
"Once they come to Castle Huntly they live in a dormitory where conditions are miserable," Dr McLellan said.
He added: "It is no surprise that prisoners regularly speak of a move to the open estate as a step back.
"But the dormitory conditions are more serious still, when prisoners regularly spend hours of the working day locked inside them.
"Prisoners, prison staff, and prison management all indicated that that was a recipe for drug taking."
The proportion of failed routine drug tests in 2004-5 was 29 per cent for Castle Huntly and 28 per cent for Noranside, near Forfar, compared with 18 per cent across all Scottish prisons, according to the report.
Source: Scotsman, The
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