Drugs put prison safety ‘at risk’

The safety of staff at Scotland’s maximum security jail is in danger of being undermined due to the increasing use of so-called “legal highs” by inmates, prison inspectors have warned.

Criminals being held at HMP Shotts in North Lanarkshire are displaying “unpredictable behaviour” after taking the drugs, according to a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons.

The maximum security jail is the only one in Scotland which exclusively houses long-term prisoners. The majority of its 531 inmates are serving sentences of more than ten years.

The report said that while the prison was currently wellordered, there were growing concerns about the growing use of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) by inmates.

The drugs contain chemical substances which can produce similar effects to cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy.

Previously known as legal highs, a blanket ban criminal- ising their production, distribution, sale and supply was introduced across the UK in May last year.

The report by Scotland’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, David Strang, says the “recent arrival” of NPS into HMP Shotts has led to more prisoners being treated for the effects of the drugs.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said it was aware of issues with substance abuse inside jails but insisted there was “no clear evidence to link this to NPS”.