Special cells with device built to prevent drug in prisons

The cells at the Central Correctional Institution for Drug Addicts in Bangkok's Bang Khen, hold around 400 inmates who are drug addicts. They are built in Zones 8, 9, 10 of the facility and are equipped with metal detector gates, xray machines, and tools to detect electronic devices.

The cell gates are powerwired to prevent escapes and are locked and opened electronically.

Justice Minister Somsak Kiartsuranont said he had sought an urgent budget to buy the devices to jam mobilephone signals and for bodyscan machines to be used with the confinement cells.

The 400 prisoners will be isolated from other inmates for a year and daily searches in the cells will prevent them from hiding mobile phones and contraband items.

Natthee said the procedure would make prison guards' tasks easier as all inmates with a drugdealing potential were kept together. They will not be allowed to receive postal parcels from their relatives or attend any skill training during the oneyear period. At the end of the term, they may be allowed to transfer to other zones or to another prison if they behave well.

Facility director Sorrasit Jongjaroen said all three zones were for inmates serving long terms who were chained and shackled all the time. He also warned prison guards against being corrupted or cooperating with inmates, saying one prison guard was now an inmate at the facility after he was found to be part of a drug ring.

Sorrsit said recent raids and searches turned up 217 mobile phones, 29 packages of 'ice' drugs and two amphetamine tablets. Thirteen inmates had been arrested for dealing drugs, and they would be prosecuted further.

He said the extra bodyscan machines were needed because they could immediately detect inmates carrying drugs.