Prisons across Scotland need almost £8 million to stop drugs being smuggled inside using drones and other methods, ministers have been warned.
The sum would cover the cost of installing thousands of window grilles across the prison estate, as well as X-ray body scanners and machines for scanning prisoners’ mail.
It would also pay for continuing work on a drone detection system, which would allow prison bosses to prevent drugs being dropped into jails from the skies.
The potential bill was revealed by Teresa Medhurst, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), in a letter to Holyrood’s criminal justice committee.
She said current methods of preventing illicit substances from entering prisons include X-ray body scanners and machines, metal detectors, body searches, and drug detection dogs.
1919 previously reported how the SPS was also trialling “covert technology” to allow drug-carrying drones to be intercepted before they could make their deliveries.
However, in her letter Medhurst said the pilot project, which cost around £50,000 per jail, was “no longer deemed viable” due to technological advances.
She said the use of window grilles is currently being trialled at both HMP Edinburgh (pictured above) and HMP Perth to combat drones, with the potential of a wider rollout across the prison estate.
The SPS estimates that it will need an investment of £7.8 million to cover the cost of these improvements, as well as £650,000 per year to fund drone detection technology.
Liam McArthur MSP, justice spokesperson for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: “Throughcare services to keep prisoners busy and teach them valuable new skills have steadily declined, so it’s no surprise that when you have a bored and unmotivated prison population there will be considerable demand for drugs.
“Even as drugs deaths climb, the government seems to be making the same mistakes over and over again, by leaving prison staff ever more stretched and doing away with the services which could help prisoners to rebuild their lives.
“Governors and officers have warned that prison budgets are increasingly stretched. All of this is simply the inevitable consequence of years of SNP neglect.”
The use of drones to deliver drugs and other contraband to prisoners has been steadily increasing in recent years, with one official recently describing them as “public enemy number one”.
In January last year, a drone carrying a package of drugs crashed near HMP Edinburgh, prompting Police Scotland to issue an appeal for witnesses.
In another incident involving the same jail, a drone carrying three phones, SIM cards, charging equipment and a stash of drugs crashed in the prison grounds in November 2021.
An SPS spokesperson said: “Any attempt to bring illicit substances into our establishments, including by a drone, poses a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of those in our care.
“Our staff work hard to keep our establishments safe and secure, using all technological and intelligence tools available to prevent this wherever possible.
“We continue to work with Police Scotland, and other partners, to take action against those who attempt to breach our security.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The health and wellbeing of those in the care of the SPS is a key priority, and the prison service work hard every day to tackle the risk posed by illicit substances.
“In addition to existing interventions including advanced scanners and detection technology, tactical search, grilles on windows at some establishments and drug detection dogs, SPS uses a range of technology and intelligence to stop illegal substances reaching our prisons.
“It is also working to identify a suitable detection system which can prevent issues and is responsive to latest technological developments.
“To continue to provide a safe and secure prison estate, we have increased investment in the SPS by 10 per cent to £481.5 million this year.”