Murdo Fraser MSP has said that the number of weapons found at Perth Prison is “staggering.”
Data supplied by the Scottish Prison Service to the Scottish Conservatives through Freedom of Information show that 118 weapons were either found in inmate’s cells or smuggled into Perth Prison over the last two years, along with a drone found in the grounds in December. It was found to contain 8.8 grammes of the ‘zombie’ drug Spice.
The range of weapons found in Perth Prison included homemade bladed weapons; a toothbrush with a razor; scissors; sharpened cutlery; a sock with a pool ball; a snapped pool cue; a sock with a padlock; a dismantled table tennis table; a metal draught excluder and a pen with a razor blade.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: “The number of weapons found in Perth Prison over just two years is just staggering, and very concerning. The Scottish Conservatives have said for some time that the SNP Government’s ‘soft justice’ approach to crime has resulted in high rates of violence and drugs in prisons, and these shocking figures back our views.
“We need to support prison officers as much as we can as this data shows the lengths some inmates are willing to go to get their hands on weapons they could use in Perth Prison. All these finds were obviously going to be used either on another inmate or prison officer.
“And the data also demonstrates the ingenuity and desperation of some criminals, by attempting to land a drone packed with the illegal drug Spice, in the grounds of Perth Prison.”
Mr Fraser continued: “The Scottish Conservative Party has called for the installation of window grilles, which have been proven to stop drone deliveries, in all prisons, and invest in drone detection technology, sniffer dogs, and X-ray machines. In addition, we would call for no-fly zones for drones over Scottish prisons and increase sentences for those found guilty of intimidating or threatening prison officers.”
