Crack, heroin and cannabis - sold every day inside Walton jail; - and don't forget the pounds 350 cell phone to set up the next deal.Byline: LUKE TRAYNOR . IN September, a female prison officer was arrested for allegedly smuggling smuggling, illegal transport across state or national boundaries of goods or persons liable to customs or to prohibition. Smuggling has been carried on in nearly all nations and has occasionally been adopted as an instrument of national policy, as by Great Britain drugs into Walton jail. The 30-year-old woman was detained at the prison with what was believed to be cannabis cannabis: see hemp; marijuana. cannabis Any plant of the genus Cannabis, which contains a single species, C. sativa. It is widely cultivated throughout the northern temperate zone. . Mobile phones were also found in her car. . IN July, last year, a contracted worker, 22, from Bootle, was arrested on suspicion of smuggling heroin into Liverpool prison. As soon as the drugs were discovered, guards held the worker until police arrived.. A FORMER jail worker at HMP HMP - hybrid multiprocessing Liverpool has called for action to stem the flow of lethal drugs flooding into the prison. Today, the ECHO can lift the lid on the daily drug trafficking operations that are riddling Walton jail with heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis. An ex-NHS employee, who worked in the prison healthcare centre for over 12 months, slammed the customary search policy as "very lax". And he revealed that wardens are regularly targeted by ruthless inmates to smuggle smug·gle v. smug·gled, smug·gling, smug·gles v.tr. 1. To import or export without paying lawful customs charges or duties. 2. To bring in or take out illicitly or by stealth. hauls inside. The ex-NHS employee has blasted the situation as "out of hand" and details: . A bag of heroin openly retailing at pounds 50 in the jail. . Mobile phones, used to arrange drug deals, available for pounds 350. . Prisoners running up thousands of pounds of debt due to Class A addictions. . Relatives and friends of inmates expertly passing on drugs during visits by "kissing and sticking packages up kids' jumpers". . Basic "nightclub-style" searches, that fail to stop visitors, and some wardens, from bringing in drugs unnoticed. The Liverpool man told the ECHO: "Staff can make a lot of money bringing in drugs. If you bring in a couple of ounces of heroin, they will make pounds 1,400 and staff a couple of hundred quid. "One female member of staff was recently caught smuggling drugs by hiding them in multi-packs of crisps. "The search policy for staff is rudimentary and lax. I was searched just once. It blew my socks off." The former health worker says drug trafficking is run by a few well-known and notorious Liverpool families with lieutenants on different wings. During his employment, the insider was approached several times by inmates to bring drugs in, but says he always refused. It has been known for guards to be secretly photographed while picking up drugs on the "outside" to be brought into prison as a form of blackmail. The former healthcare worker said: "Prisoners groom workers, get dead 'pally' with them. You've got to keep your guard up. "There are lots of threats associated with drug trafficking. We regularly got people coming into the healthcare wards who had been assaulted. "If a person gets into debt they get a warning. After three warnings they get beaten or slashed. I've seen a lot of inmates desperate to be transferred to different wings. "If somebody does get a transfer, the debt is attached to their old cell. A new person coming to that cell has a debt to pay which is nothing to do with them." Tactics for getting drugs into prison are said to be well-rehearsed with some offenders swallowing condoms filled with small bags of drugs just before being sentenced. When inside prison, people convicted of minor offences are pressurised to persuade relatives to bring in drugs. People who enter the jail without a drug habit often soon become users. As one insider put it: "If you're a guy under the age of 30, staying off drugs is hard as the situation is endemic. "Two-thirds of the people there have bought into the mindset mind·set or mind-set n. 1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit. of criminality. Prison is an occupational hazard." A Prison Service spokeswoman said: "This former member of staff should provide evidence to the governor so he can investigate these allegations. "The vast majority of Prison Service staff are honest, hardworking and professional, and we do not tolerate staff corruption of any sort. Any allegations are thoroughly investigated. "Where evidence is found to support them, we take disciplinary action, and where appropriate, refer the matter to the police. Measures are in place to prevent the supply of drugs into prison, including searching strategies, mobile phone signal detectors and Body Orifice A body orifice is an opening in the body of an animal. In a typical mammalian body such as the human body, the body orifices are:
"The government takes the threats created by mobile phones in prisons very seriously and we are committed to tackling and disrupting their use." 'Prison service is not helping officers police the problem' THE BATTLE to stop drugs and mobile phones flooding into Liverpool prison is being lost. The Walton jail is being overrun 1. overrun - A frequent consequence of data arriving faster than it can be consumed, especially in serial line communications. For example, at 9600 baud there is almost exactly one character per millisecond, so if a silo can hold only two characters and the machine takes by illegal substances. And it is being blighted by bullying linked to its illicit supply. The stark warning came in a recently released report from the Independent Monitoring Board Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB) are statutory bodies whose purpose is to monitor the welfare of prisoners and immigration detainees in the UK and to ensure that they are properly cared for whilst in custody and detention. . Analysing prison life at Walton during 2008 the watchdog also noted the prevalence of mobile phones - banned for prisoners serving time behind bars. But many lags at HMP Liverpool still boast about having telephones in their cells while guards told the ECHO of hearing ringtones during the night. Some prisoners are known to use mobile phones to conduct drug deals, control drugs being smuggled smug·gle v. smug·gled, smug·gling, smug·gles v.tr. 1. To import or export without paying lawful customs charges or duties. 2. To bring in or take out illicitly or by stealth. inside and follow business interests despite being locked up. The report reads: "Drugs and bullying remain a constant concern of the board and the presence of mobile phones within the prison population seems to be clearly linked to this. "The management, and in particular security, together with prison officers' work manfully man·ful adj. Having or showing the bravery and resoluteness considered characteristic of a man. See Synonyms at male. man  ful·ly adv. and professionally to eliminate
these problems.
But it appears to be a losing battle. "The board understands several initiatives have been and are imminent to combat this problem, but would still recommend even more resources being allocated." In September the ECHO told how one outraged con telephoned DJ Pete Price's late-night radio show to argue live on air with his girlfriend. Recent legislation means prison staff and the governors themselves are barred from bringing a mobile into a prison. The discovery of a mobile could potentially lead to an arrest and a prosecution at court. In September a female prison officer was arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs into Walton jail. The 30-year-old woman was detained at the prison with what was believed to be cannabis. Mobile phones were also found in her car. She was suspended from duty. In July last year a 22-year-old contract worker from Bootle was arrested on suspicion of smuggling heroin into Liverpool prison. A Prison Service spokeswoman said: "Measures are in place to prevent the supply of drugs into prison, including searching strategies, mobile phone signal detectors and Body Orifice Security Scanners (BOSS chairs). "The government takes the threats created by mobile phones in prisons very seriously and we are committed to tackling and disrupting their use. "Technology to detect mobile phones or block signals is currently being trialled and used in prisons." Secretary of the Prison Officers Association Brian Caton said: "Drugs in prisons is a massive difficulty and we take it very seriously indeed. "As much as we are trying we are frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: by the fact that technology like mobile phone blocks is available but the Prison Service doesn't appear willing to spend money on this. "Drugs are a problem in society and it shouldn't be a surprise that it is equally reflected in prisons. "Staff in Liverpool prison are working flat out to deal with this problem. "But the Ministry of Justice appear to be paying lip service lip service n. Verbal expression of agreement or allegiance, unsupported by real conviction or action; hypocritical respect: to this issue." CAPTION(S): STANDING ACCUSED: Walton jail CLAIMS: Drugs and mobile phones are easy to buy inside Walton Prison, a former NHS NHS abbr. National Health Service NHS (in Britain) National Health Service employee has told the ECHO |
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