New Hall Prison stages drugs clampdown

Jun 17 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

EVERY visitor to New Hall Prison was searched for drugs.

Police and prison staff staged the crackdown after a worrying report revealed drugs were being smuggled into the women’s jail at Flockton.

And they handed out fines to people who tried to take in small quantities of drugs.

West Yorkshire Police and the HM Prison Service joined forces to clamp down on drugs being smuggled into jail.

Last week all visitors who went to see inmates were searched and spoken to about any involvement they may have in drugs supply.

The intention of the operation was to disrupt the supply of drugs into the prison and to identify and divert users of drugs into treatment and rehabilitation programmes.

It is believed that drugs are being passed to inmates during the course of a visits, either for personal use or for wider distribution in the prison.

Neighbourhood Policing Teams and CID in Wakefield along with the Police’s Mounted Section are working in partnership with HMP New Hall and Yorkshire Area Search Team (YAST) in order to stop crimes.