Mail seized from inmates at HMP Addiewell to stop letters laced with drugs getting in
Officers seize letters from cons and give them a photocopy instead if they suspect it is laced with Class A drugs or dangerous 'legal highs'.
HMP Addiewell in West Lothian(Image: Daily Record)
Inmates at a crisis-hit private prison are having their mail confiscated in a bid to stem a flood of deadly drugs.
When officers at HMP Addiewell in West Lothian suspect a letter is laced with drugs, it is seized and the con is given a photocopy instead.
Dealers have been known to impregnate correspondence from loved ones with a range of Class A drugs, including heroin and LSD, and dangerous “legal highs” like spice.
The paper is then burned in an e-cigarette or vape to release the drug.
A mother whose son is serving a lengthy sentence at Addiewell for a violent crime said: “He’s told me that they have been handing out photocopies for the last six months if they suspect the letter has been contaminated with drugs.
“However, prisoners who do not use drugs are also having letters confiscated.
“My son even had a drawing and artwork his daughter had done withheld.”
In October, almost 100 letters laced with spice were intercepted at Addiewell.
Spice vape liquid(Image: MEN Media)
That same month, five trainee guards quit the jail amid allegations of cocaine use – and a female officer resigned in November after failing a drugs test.
Advocate Niall McCluskey, an expert in human rights, said: “The prison would need a reasonable suspicion that the letter was being used for some illegal purpose.
“I would be concerned if prisons were having a blanket confiscation of all mail. If this was the case then it could be a breach of the prisoners’ right to a family life.”
Top news stories today
An Addiewell spokesman said: “Preventing drugs from entering the prison is a key priority for our staff.
"We have invested in technological solutions, alongside our robust searching procedures, to prevent illicit items from being introduced to the prison.”
HMP Addiewell, which was built under the controversial private finance initiative, has been run by Sodexo since 2006.
Prison governor Ian Whitehead(Image: West Lothian Courier)
We revealed last year how prison governor Ian Whitehead resigned days after prisoners staged a protest at conditions caused by a staff shortage.
Last year, violent prisoner David Gilday took the Scottish Prison Service to court after his mail was confiscated when sniffer dogs detected drugs on a greetings card.
The Court of Session in Edinburgh threw out his claim, saying the prison had acted lawfully.
