Photocopied mail for prisoners in drug crackdown
The days of inmates receiving hard copy letters are set to end as part of a radical plan to cut drug smuggling in Victoria’s prison system.
Police & Courts
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Victorian prisoners will no longer receive hard copy mail under a radical plan to cut drug smuggling into the state’s prisons.
Instead prisoners will receive photocopies of incoming mail in a bid to stop the smuggling of drugs which have been found dissolved or painted into mail.
Government data has revealed since March more than 990 drug items have been seized from prisoners, compared to 144 items in the six months prior.
Drone-related activity around prisons has also spiked in that time with efforts to drop contraband over prison walls.
New laws to be introduced to parliament this week will enable staff to photocopy mail before passing it onto prisoners.
Legal correspondence will be among certain documents to be exempt from the new laws.
Corrections Minister Natalie Hutchins said the new laws would better prevent drugs from entering prisons.
“Our new drone detection program is also stopping drugs and other contraband from getting into the hands of prisoners,” she said.
“Illegal drugs are unacceptable in our prisons and as new methods are tried to smuggle them we will make sure we have the measures in place can stop them.”
In the County Court on Friday, two men were sentenced over their roles in an amateur prison contraband smuggling operation.
Gia Quoc Dinh, 43, escaped with no conviction but was placed on a Community Correction Order for his role in helping smuggle tobacco to Son Pham who is serving a 19-year prison term.
Dinh would throw bum bags containing cash and contraband over the home fence of prison guard Adam McGovern who would sneak it into Margoneet prison in his boots.
Dinh’s lawyer, George Balot, said his client was “very grateful” for the merciful sentence.
Pham was convicted and had four months extra jail time added to his sentence.
They had each pleaded guilty to a single count of bribery of a public official.
McGovern was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order in December.
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