| Kate Donegan told the Tele that even after rehabilitation former inmates tend to go back to their old ways, often taking a “cocktail” of drugs.
She expressed her concerns while discussing the £70 million redevelopment of Perth Prison, which is now in its third stage.
This work will see the realignment of the perimeter wall, a new entrance and new car-park.
It will also include a new health centre and visitor centre and is due for completion in 2010.
Describing the drugs situation as a “vicious circle”, Mrs Donegan said that many inmates were in jail for drug offences or “acquisitive” crimes related to drugs.
“It remains a significant and serious problem,” she said. “And sadly, I don’t see it getting any better — I see it worsening.”
Mrs Donegan said efforts were made to rehabilitate prisoners, but the average length of sentences made this problematical.
“We do provide facilities to help prisoners in terms of rehab and detoxification, but the overwhelming majority of prisoners in Perth Prison are here for six months,” she said.
“And that does not really give us long enough to work dramatically with their drug problem.
“That isn’t to say we don’t do anything, but they are returning whence they came.
“When the prisoners are released they go back to the same place and get involved in drugs again — it’s a vicious circle.”
She continued, “There are areas of Scotland that are worse than others, but it’s a problem that permeates our area of society. And the damage it causes to people is dreadful, both in terms of physical and mental health.
“The deterioration for many of our prisoners is really quite rapid because they will take a cocktail of drugs.
“Often they will take anything that is available, whatever its purity or type and we see it in all ages.” |
