Cannabis is still biggest worry (From This Is Cheshire)

Cannabis is still biggest worry

11:50am Thursday 28th August 2008

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THE increased use of steroids by prisoners in the gyms has been highlighted in an annual inspection report of Thorn Cross Young Offender’s Institute.

In a report released this week, the independent monitoring board also says cannabis remains the biggest drug worry and population is too low compared to over crowding elsewhere in the prison system.

And the independent monitoring board, which carried out the inspection, also criticised the closure of some facilities during the past 12 months But it did say the YOI provided a “fair and decent” service and that Thorn Cross was well run by dedicated staff.

The report says: “The main drug usage is still cannabis although concerns about steroids has resulted in the reduction of allowed weights in the gym.

“The pyschology department conducted a survey amoung the trainees about how drugs get into the prison and the inference was they came in by ‘workouts’ and town visits.”

There were also heavy criticism for the decision to close an open prison unit for juvenile offenders.

This, the report says, was the only one of its kind in the country and provided a “beacon of good practice”.

The decision to close it “does no credit to the youth justice board or the prison service”.

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