Hundreds of deadly weapons and drugs seized by Wigan jail staff

HMP Hindley recorded no fewer than 774 separate incidents in which illicit substances were recovered between January 2015 and March 2020.

And there were also 403 cases of weapons being found between October 2015 and March 2020.

Data collated by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service shows a general marked rise in the number of drugs and weapons and other items smuggled into the Bickershaw institution.

The number of drug seizures increased from 27 in 2015 to 180 in 2019.

Weapon discoveries also rose slightly from 94 between April 2016 and March 2017 to 100 in the last financial year.

In total, there were 3,742 incidents recorded of all illegal items found at the prison during the five-year period.

Other contraband discovered included mobile phones (745 incidents), alcohol (186), tobacco (218), drug equipment (225), SIM cards (179), chargers (480), memory cards (seven), other mobile phone related items (64), distilling equipment (20), and a number of incidents where other items were found (414).

More prison officers and improved security have been cited as reasons for the surge in finds, which is also reflected nationally.

In England and Wales, the number of incidents where drugs were found in prisons, rose from 10,666 in 2017 to 21,575 in 2020, while weapon finds increased from 4,780 to 11,267 during the same period.

Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the best way to stop the flow of drugs and other contraband into prisons is to reduce demand for them.

He said: “Drugs are a scourge in prisons, and we know that the number of confiscations does not tell the whole story about the true scale of the problem.

“More officers have been recruited, and this may explain the rising number of finds, but the best way to stop the flow of drugs and other contraband into prisons is to reduce the demand for them in the first place.

“Staff time spent monitoring scanners and searching cells would be better deployed in building relationships and working with people in prison o keep them occupied with work, education, training and exercise.”

He added: “This is one of the reasons why it is so important that the current restrictions behind bars, imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, are eased safely, sensibly, and as soon as possible. Giving people purpose and the opportunity to make amends helps to reduce crime.”

A Prison Service spokesman said: “We are finding more illicit items thanks to improved security such as body scanners and enhanced CCTV. Searches have also been ramped up to stop these items getting in in the first place and those responsible are punished.”

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