The new Governor of Mountjoy Prison has introduced a 'zero drugs policy' at the country's largest prison.
In his first interview since he took up the post six weeks ago, Ned Whelan said his objective was to close-off all avenues bringing drugs, mobile phones, weapons and other contraband into the prison.
Three quarters of Mountjoy’s 700 inmates have taken drugs.
A range of new security measures have also been introduced to enforce the policy.
Dogs trained to attack violent or rioting inmates periodically patrol the perimeter walls and the operational support unit, specially trained prison officers, regularly search prisoners’ cells.
In the last six months they have made 356 drug finds and found 86 weapons.
The Governor said the measures have dramatically reduced the supply of drugs and other contraband coming into the prison.
He said that instead of the measures creating more tension, they have served to calm the situation.
He also said that treatment is available as an alternative and 232 prisoners, more than a third of the inmates, are on methadone maintenance - making the jail the largest methadone clinic in the country.
