The number of prison inmates testing positive for drugs in New Hampshire is going down.
Around this time last year, 27 percent of drug tests came back positive. New data from the Department of Corrections says now, that's down to 11 percent.
Spokesman Jeff Lyons of the DOC says this downward trend has resulted from several policy changes the department has taken to address drug use. It's changed practices around mail and rules for visiting rooms and its added drug sniffing dogs.
“For us it is all about the security of our institution,” Lyons said. “We think that if we can take these steps and it can decrease the amount of drugs coming into our prison then it’s all going to be better for us and also for the rehabilitation treatment of the offender population.”
The Department will also soon be adding body scanners to its facilities to help detect illegal drugs.
Roughly 80 percent of New Hampshire prisoners have a history with drugs prior to being incarcerated.
