Drugs seizures rise at Norwich Prison

Bosses at Norwich Prison have welcomed an increase in the amount of drug seizures made over the past year as they say it demonstrates the success of their 'rigorous security measures'.

Figures released as part of a Parliamentary question about the amount of drugs seizures made from prisoners in each prison over the past two years revealed staff at HMP Norwich made 20 seizures between September last year and August this year compared to just one from September 2010 to August 2011.

Philip Davies, a Conservative MP for Shipley, West Yorkshire, who asked the question in Parliament earlier this month, also wanted to know how many mobile phones had been seized from prisoners in prisons.

Figures revealed that at HMP Norwich just four phones/SIM cards/or a phone with SIM card or media stick/memory card were found on prisoners/young offenders between September last year and August this year compared to eight between September 2010 and August last year.

A Prison Service spokesman said: 'These successful seizures show our rigorous security measures are working.

'We take this issue extremely seriously and staff work hard to keep all prohibited items out of prisons, using a range of robust and intelligence-led measures to disrupt their supply.'

In June it was reported how Norwich Prison had been criticised in a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons which highlighted concerns the Knox Road jail appeared less safe than at its last inspection, the induction of vulnerable prisoners was inadequate and there was limited supervision by staff on some wings.

But inspectors were pleased to find that the situation for young adult prisoners had improved and said the management team had a 'good grasp of the challenges they faced'.