By james art The illegal drug fentanyl was hidden in a prisoner’s pen when it was accidentally inhaled by two prison officers at HMP Frankland, a new report has revealed.
The two officers were rushed to hospital after “suffering from fume inhalation” while searching an inmate’s cell.
The powerful synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is estimated to have caused more than 76,000 overdose deaths in the US in 2022 and is slowly making its way into Northeastern heroin markets.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the drug availability “crisis” was inherited from the previous government. Measures are being taken to prevent illegal items from entering the prison.
The annual report of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at HMP Frankland, located in Braeside, said: “In one incident, two members of staff had to be attended outside the hospital after being affected by fume inhalation while searching a prisoner’s cell.
“The contents of a pen found in his locker tested positive for fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
“It’s a new drug that’s coming into prison.
IMB investigators also noted that drug-impregnated paper was being smuggled into the Category A prison, with innocuous letters being used to get the substances past security.
At Frankland’s estate, these pieces of paper can sell for £150 or more for just one sheet.
Prison guards have found pieces of mail that were used to smuggle drug paper into the facility, but it is believed criminals may be using other routes.
The prison often uses sniffer dogs to prevent visitors from carrying illegal substances – “particularly in relation to children’s visits”.
The report specifies that “the problem of availability [of drugs] is still a major problem.”
Elsewhere in the report, it noted that staff at HMP Frankland were “compromised by the outdated CCTV provision”, leading to “blind spots” around the complex.
But since the report, work has been undertaken to improve security at HMP Frankland, such as upgrading CCTV and strengthening drug monitoring strategies.
The report also praised HMP Frankland in some areas – such as the wide variety of support groups, improved involvement of key staff and “enjoyable and useful” use of the exercise yards.
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The inclusive range of faith and pastoral support, such as holding a a pagan festival for the summer solstice, was also praised.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “The presence of drugs in prison is another sign of the prison crisis that the new government has inherited.
“We are bringing the crisis under control by ensuring that security measures such as X-ray body scanners and drone restricted areas are used to stop illegal items from entering the prison.”