New law boosts crackdown on contraband

New legislation coming into force today makes it more difficult to smuggle contraband into prisons and will further prevent prisoners from conducting illegal activities, says Corrections Minister Hon Judith Collins.

The Corrections Amendment Act creates new search, detection, drug-testing and offence provisions to help control contraband in prisons.

"Smuggling drugs, cellphones and other contraband into prisons just got a lot harder," Ms Collins says.

"The legislation includes increased search powers for corrections officers and increases penalties for prisoners using contraband as well as for those found to be supplying illicit items.

"From today, Corrections staff will have greater powers to search prisoners and most prisoner mail - both coming in and out of a prison.

"The Corrections Amendment Act also makes it an imprisonable offence for a prisoner to possess or use an electronic communication device such as a cellphone, and for anyone to possess an unauthorised item without reasonable excuse while visiting or working in a prison."

Ms Collins says the legislation will greatly enhance the security of New Zealand prisons and make it more difficult for prisoners to access drugs and use cellphones to continue their criminal activities and intimidate people in the community.

Improved access to drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes are a key part of the Government's efforts to reduce prisoner reoffending. The Act will make these programmes more effective by reducing prisoners' access to illegal drugs, Ms Collins says

Steps taken by the department to clamp down on contraband in prison, including using intelligence, regular searching, use of drug dogs and increased security has seen the rate of prisoners returning positive random drug tests fall to a low of around 10.5 percent.

"I would be delighted if the increase in penalties and the ability to more thoroughly search people saw this rate fall even further," Ms Collins says