WEB ONLY 2 JAN 2008.
John Stapleton
ICE, heroin, scales for measuring out drugs, cash, weapons and mobile phones were all seized by authorities after friends and family tried unsuccessfully to smuggle them into NSW jails over the Christmas holiday period.
Twenty people have been banned from visiting correctional centres in NSW and 11 face potential criminal charges following a crackdown on jail contraband, NSW Justice Minister John Hatzistergos said today. In some cases children were used to help smuggle in the contraband.
``For those who have been caught introducing mobile phones and drugs over the break, they could find a jail cell reserved for them in the future,'' Mr Hatzistergos said. ``Most visitors want to do the right thing when they visit an inmate, but we will continue to target those visitors who seek to break the law.''
Mr Hatzistergos said over 16,000 searches of visitors resulted in more than 900 being banned and almost 300 charged by police during the year.
``Officers also searched 1,500 vehicles and conducted 3,300 property searches,'' Mr Hatzistergos said.
``These figures send a message to visitors that if you seek to introduce contraband into our correctional centres, then you will be caught. Visitors who try to introduce contraband can face up to two years in jail, in addition to other charges relating to the items concerned.
``Recent changes have also tightened the law making it an offence for an inmate to use a mobile phone in jail, in addition to possessing it.''
Mr Hatzistergos said visitors introducing contraband into jails could face lifetime bans from visiting inmates.
``I'd like also to pay tribute to the correctional centre officers and police for their hard work over the holiday period,'' he said.
``I'd like also to pay tribute to the correctional centre officers and police for their hard work over the holiday period,'' he said.
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