search of prison guards, calling for a full probe into the exercise.

Angry prison officers met for more than three hours last night to discuss the search and decide whether to demand an investigation into prisons management themselves.

But when contacted Prison Officers Association members refused to say how the meeting went.

"We have no comment to make at this time,'' a spokesman said after the lengthy meeting broke up around 11 p.m. Association chairman Mr. Russell Richardson did not return telephone calls.

The search was "nothing short of shocking'', Sen. Terry Lister said during the Senate adjournment debate.

It was a blow to the morale of prison officers, he said. But Sen. the Hon.

Michael Winfield UBP defended the search, claiming the "vast majority'' of prison officers actually supported it.

He praised Prisons Commissioner Mr. Edward Dyer for taking prompt action in response to "rumours throughout the community suggesting drugs were being brought in and out of prison''.

The search took place at the Ferry Reach Prison Farm last Friday. Ten prison officers were lined up in a yard by Police with sniffer dogs.

Angry prison officers, who met over the incident last night, may call for a probe into Prisons (now Corrections) Department management. . .

"It is sheer foolishness to spend millions on the new prison and then go around harassing the men who are needed to staff it,'' Sen. Lister said.

Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness had been quick in the past to order reports into prison mishaps, he noted.

"I hope he gets a full report on this. What were the intents of the search and what were the results? "If there is one guilty party and he is brought to justice over this we are all winners. But if no one was found with drugs, then we are all losers.'' Prison officials have stated no drugs were found in the search.

Sen. Winfield said the fact no drugs were found made winners -- not losers -- out of the prison officers. "They should stand tall with proud at being vindicated,'' he said.

He added he believed the community supported a hard line on the drugs scourge.

The Opposition's taking sides with the prison officers demonstrated their "fuzzy thinking'' on the drugs issue.