Legal highs selling for thousands in Merseyside prisons

A recent investigation has revealed that mind-altering legal high drugs are being sold in Merseyside prisons for more than £4,000 per ounce.

The legal highs being sold, which have been likened to cannabis, bear such names as ‘spice’ and ‘black mamba’ and are favourites of the inmates of Walton and Altcourse prisons. Altcourse in particular has seen a huge increase in the number of prisoners being hospitalised because of legal high use. The surge in demand for the substances has led to gangs within the prisons controlling the supply and thereby making thousands of pounds.

A former inmate of Altcourse prison said: “Cons are being taken to hospital weekly for taking overdoses on spice or mamba. There are two or three ambulances called at weekends. A lot of the violence is linked to drug use. Visitors are bringing them in and not being searched and packages get thrown over the walls. There are drugs everywhere.”

Legal high drugs are difficult for the authorities to spot, as they can be made to look like rolled up tobacco and often only have a faint odour. Legal highs cannot even be spotted during routine drug testing on prisoners.

Another prisoner said that the legal high known as ‘spice’ is the bestseller in prison. Its street value is £100 per ounce; however, inside the prison walls it is trading at more than £4,000 per ounce. The sale and use of legal highs in prison has been linked to 210 assaults in just six months, with 38 of these being against prison staff.