Written Answers. - Availability of Drugs in Prisons.
Ivor Callely
Question:
50
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Justice
if her attention has been drawn to the development by other countries of voluntary drug-free open prisons for addicts committed for drug-related offences; the consideration, if any, that has been given to introducing similar developments in this country; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[1965/94]
John Browne
Question:
60
Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny)
asked the
Minister for Justice
the plans, if any, she has to tackle the problem of prisoners being able to get a supply of drugs whilst in prison; and, following the curtailment of drugs, the plans, if any, she has to provide rehabilitation for drug users while in prison.
[2043/94]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 60 together.
In this administration we operate a fairly liberal regime for prisoners and there is a real risk that some visitors will abuse the regime by passing illegal drugs on visits, and that prisoners will abuse free association by passing drugs to one another.
It would, of course, be possible to modify the regime for prisoners in such a way as to virtually eliminate the problem. The revised regime, however, would have to include severe restrictions on free association between prisoners, more frequent searches of cells and prisoners including strip-searches, the searching of all visitors to prisons, the erection of barriers between prisoners and all visitors to prevent personal contact, even with children, and the introduction of more intrusive technology.
While I accept that the drugs problem is a most serious one I am not satisfied that I would be justified in introducing so restrictive and inhumane a regime which would punish the innocent as well as the guilty and could cause irreparable harm to relationships with families including children.
Steps which are being taken to keep drugs out of the prisons include a high level of staff vigilance, closed circuit video surveillance, screening of prisoners after visits and regular searches of the prisons.
I should like to draw attention to the documentThe Management of Offenders — A Five Year Plan which I published in June last which contains in Chapter 13 a discussion of the problem. The document indicated that it was planned, through the medium of the departmental steering committee which is in place to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases in Prisons, to carry out a full review to establish how best to manage the problems of both the access of drugs and the treatment-rehabilitation of drug-addicted offenders.
There is already in the prisons a wide range of rehabilitative services, including medical, psychiatric, psychology, welfare, education, work-training and chaplaincy available to offenders to help them to cope with their sentences and to lead them, as far as practicable, to a more constructive life in the community on release. These are, of course, available to drug abusers but in their case two specific initiatives are important i.e. the expansion of methadone maintenance programmes and the development of drug-free units.
I know that there are difficulties about methadone maintenance strategies. Nonetheless, this is an issue that must be faced. My colleague, the Minister for Health, has just issued a medical protocol in this respect which should greatly clarify the issue for doctors in general practice, including prison doctors. The Prison Medical Director is now conferring with prison doctors on the practical implications for the treatment of offenders.
In regard to drug-free units I should say that the Prison Medical Director and other senior officials have visited drug-free units in England and a number of prisons in the Netherlands to review their method of operation and to see how they might be adopted here. I am still considering their report but would sound a note of caution that for various reasons such models might be difficult to operate successfully in our system.
In the wider community, the drug situation is monitored continuously and all strategies adopted by the Garda to deal with the problem are kept under continuous review. This ensures that the problem is dealt with effectively and efficiently and that manpower and resources are utilised in the best possible way.
