Three males have been taken to hospital following suspected medicine misuse at a Scots jail.
An investigation is beneath manner after the prisoners, primarily based at HMP Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, had been admitted to hospital on Wednesday and Thursday.
A spokesperson for jail operators Serco stated: “We can confirm that three prisoners from HMP Kilmarnock have been taken to hospital.
“We are in shut contact with the hospital to watch their situation.”
NHS Ayrshire and Arran confirmed it was working with the jail healthcare and custody workers to research the circumstances surrounding the incidents.
Joanne Edwards, director of acute companies, stated: “We are aware of a small number of prisoners who have been admitted to University Hospital Crosshouse following suspected drug misuse.
“Due to affected person confidentiality, it could be inappropriate to remark additional.”
Last month it was revealed that the variety of drones caught flying into Scottish prisons had elevated from two in 2018 to 9 within the first three months of this 12 months alone.
The remote-controlled plane are used to smuggle the likes of medication and telephones into jails.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) stated it was utilizing “all technological and intelligence tools available” to sort out the issue.
Read extra:
Surge in variety of drones caught flying into Scottish prisons after smuggling crackdown
Gang sentenced for utilizing drones to drop medicine in prisons
Prisoners getting medicine and telephones from drones
A crackdown on smuggling by way of jail letters is believed to be one of many causes behind the latest rise in drone use.
A coverage has allowed workers to photocopy letters addressed to prisoners, so inmates obtain copies reasonably than originals.
The measure was put in place to cease medicine – specifically, benzodiazepines like Etizolam – from getting into the property by being soaked into paper.
Between August 2020 and July 2021, virtually 9,000 gadgets of mail despatched to jails throughout Scotland examined optimistic for an unlawful drug.
Following the introduction of the coverage, drug-taking incidents dropped by 36% – from 175 in December 2021 to 112 in March 2022 – in accordance with a letter to Holyrood’s Justice Committee in May 2022 from SPS chief government Teresa Medhurst.
Source: information.sky.com”