Inspection reveals prison drug problem

ONE in eight prisoners developed a drug problem after being in jail, inspectors said, following analysis of data from one prison.

A poll of a quarter of all inmates at Durham Prison last year found 13 per cent had developed a drug problem since being held in the category B local prison.

The inspection also found up to a third of prisoners failed random drugs tests, more than a third thought it easy to get hold of drugs and almost one in five thought they would still have a problem after being released.

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Nick Hardwick, chief inspector of prisons, warned not enough was being done to tackle the problem.

He said: “The most troubling problem facing the prison was the availability of drugs,” adding it was not being tackled with “sufficient vigour”.