New efforts to tackle jail drugs

18 July 2012 Last updated at 01:05 ET By Vincent Kearney BBC NI home affairs correspondent

The new head of the Northern Ireland prison service has rejected claims that illegal drugs are an inevitable part of prison life.

Recent reports by the prisoner ombudsman has linked drugs to the deaths of two prisoners in Maghaberry and accused the prison authorities of tolerating the problem.

However, Sue McAllister, who has just taken over as director general of the prison service insisted this was not the case.

She said measures would be introduced to tackle the drugs problem.

Ms McAllister started her new job quietly at the start of this month and has spent the time since meeting prison staff and some of the prisoners held in Northern Ireland's three jails.

She is the first woman to hold the post of director general of the NI prison service.

The 51-year-old mother of two knows more than most about the problems and challenges it faces.

She was part of a review team appointed after the death of Colin Bell, who hanged himself in his cell in Maghaberry while on suicide watch in July 2008.

In a highly critical report published three years ago, the team recommended the appointment of a new management team at Maghaberry and made 37 other recommendations for change.

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New efforts to tackle jail drugs