At Invercargill Prison, cannabis was found 37 times, amphetamines/methamphetamine four times, and pills, tablets or capsules 22 times. While the number of drugs seized was increasing, fewer random drug tests were being carried out in prisons. Corrections chief custodial officer Neil Beales said the drop was equivalent to the percentage drop in the prison population over the same time. In March 2018 the prison population peaked at 10,820. There were 17 failed drug tests at Otago Corrections Facility in the past five years, and 23 at Invercargill Prison.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 13, 2021 15:34 UTC