Question reference: S5O-03185
- Asked by: Margaret Mitchell, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 24 April 2019
-
Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 May 2019
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle the use of new psychoactive substances in prisons.
Answer
I hope you will understand that it would be inappropriate to place into the public domain specific details about all of the responses deployed to reduce illicit drug use in Scottish prisons.
I can however advise that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has established a Strategic Risk and Threat Group to identify emerging threats and coordinate tactical responses across the prison estate.
Tactical measures are supported by various technologies, including
X-ray machines, body scanners and other equipment which can assist in detecting attempts to introduce illicit substances to prisons. SPS also has a number of drug detection dogs.
SPS and Police Scotland continue to work closely to prevent the introduction of illicit substances and seek convictions where appropriate.