Eavesdropping on prisoner phone calls has thwarted the prison drug drop plans of an Otago Corrections Facility inmate and his girlfriend.
Prison manager Reti Pearse said a prisoner faced internal penalties, and his partner in the community was banned from visiting him after it was discovered recently the pair were planning to get drugs into the prison.
Prisoner phone monitoring revealed the couple talking about how they could try to get contraband into the prison the next day.
The pair discussed the prisoner's partner concealing the contraband internally and in her bra, Mr Pearse said. The partner was immediately banned from the prison, the police were called and the prisoner was banned from phoning his partner, or having any physical contact with visitors for six months.
"Some prisoners try to find ways to challenge the system and we will continue to crack down on these attempts. The prisoners will then have to face the consequences of their actions."
Corrections was always monitoring the activities of prisoners to prevent contraband from getting into prisons, and thwarted attempts like this acted as a warning to other prisoners who thought they could get away with smuggling drugs or tobacco into prison, he said.
Corrections staff have been able to monitor prisoner's telephone calls since 2007.
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