Smuggling contraband into prisons can have a disastrous effect for both prisoners and their loved ones.
That's according to a former prison officer and author after figures have shown a major increase in contraband seizures at Castlerea Prison in 2022.
With visiting restrictions lifted following Covid measures, prison staff have seen more mobile phones, weapons and illegal homemade alcohol discovered.
Any inmate found with contraband runs the risk of losing privileges, or having further time added to their sentence.
Former head of the Operational Security Group at the Midlands Prison, David McDonald, says the consequences can be far more serious than simple punishments.
''Drugs are a thing that a drug addict on the outside builds up a tolerance to, once inside the wall of a prison that supply to them has dwindled a lot. Then what happens is somebody tries and smuggles something like heroin in. They get it. They'll take it in one go, in the same quantity as they were taking it on the outside. They're putting themselves at risk because anyone caught the screening area coming in with contraband will be arrested, will be charged, will be brought to court.''
