Contraband rising in prisons
Weapons, drugs and tattoo equipment are all on the rise in Auckland prisons.
Figures released to Stuff under the Official Information Act show an increasing amount of contraband has been smuggled in to New Zealand prisons over the last year.
At Mt Eden corrections facility there has been a rise in tattoo equipment seized.
During the 2016 financial year 108 tattoo equipment items were seized compared to 144 in the 2017 financial year.
At Auckland prison in Paremoremo the number of contraband items including alcohol, communication devices and weapons had all risen in the 2017 financial year.
But there had been a decrease in drugs, drug paraphernalia and tattoo equipment.
In 2015, 20 items of alcohol were seized compared to 41 in 2017. The number of communication devices also rose from 32 in 2016 to 37 in 2017.
Weapons seized by Corrections also rose from 93 in 2016 to 114 in 2017.
At the Auckland region women’s corrections facility the number of drugs and weapons seized had risen.
Drugs seized rose from 18 in 2016 to 27 in 2017 and the number of weapons confiscated increased from 4 to 12.
However, the Department of Corrections national commissioner Rachel Leota said improved screening measures had resulted in an increase in the number of contraband items that have been successfully intercepted over the past decade.
Measures included extensive perimeter security and limiting the number of entry points to prisons, Leota said.
Background checks were also conducted on all potential prison visitors and searches were conducted of any vehicle and its occupants entering prison property, she said.
Corrections put an emphasis on preventing contraband from entering prisons, as such items could be detrimental to the safety and security of the prison, Leota said.
Detector dogs are also used to identify contraband.
There are two types of dogs: narcotics dogs search for the main types of drugs and then cellphone and tobacco dogs.
Once the prisons became smoke free in July 2011, items such as tobacco, matches and lighters became contraband.