MORE has to be done to combat the menace of teenage drug use, the Chief Minister said today after what he described as an ‘enlightening’ visit to the Prison’s Young Offenders unit.

Senator Frank Walker met inmates and staff on a guided tour of La Moye Prison yesterday in the wake of last month’s damning Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons report.

He described many of the conditions he saw as unacceptable, but said he found the dedication and professionalism of the staff uplifting.

The Chief Minister also defended his Home Affairs Minister, saying that she had tried repeatedly, and often successfully, to secure extra funding for the jail, but that investment was still insufficient.

‘It was enlightening to meet the prisoners, particularly in the young offenders unit,’ he said.

‘They are nearly all there for drugs related offences.

That is an issue for another day, but we have got to do more about combating the drugs menace.’