A man convicted of possessing cocaine with intent to supply has been working for customs officers while on day release from prison.
Enzo Defoe, 35, of Blake Drive, Braintree, was jailed for three years last year after police found 12 grammes of cocaine in his Land Rover and home.
Mr Defoe is now serving his sentence in Hollesley Bay Prison, Suffolk, and although he must return to the prison at night, he is allowed to work throughout the day driving a truck in the East Dock complex, Felixstowe.
One of the jobs of the day release prisoners is to move suspicious cargo containers to a customs warehouse to be searched for drugs and weapons.
A spokesman for HM Prison Service said: "The Home Office and the Prison Service make sure all prisoners are thoroughly risk-assessed, and they are only sent on assignments such as these once we are sure they are no risk to the public.
"They have also been risk-assessed as to the position where they are working, and when people have been convicted of a crime this type of outplacement has proved very successful for proper integration into the community."
John Barber, of HM Customs and Excise in Ipswich said: "Obviously the men were working with customs officers, not as customs officers, but we feel it is up to the prison service to comment on what placements people from the prison are sent to."
Published Monday July 19, 2004
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