Seán Power
Ceist:472 Mr. S. Power asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there is evidence to suggest that the use of illegal drugs in prisons is on the increase; and his plans to deal with the situation. [18269/03]
Written Answers. - Drugs in Prisons.
It is extremely difficult to quantify the level of illegal drugs consumed by prisoners while in custody, particularly given the secretive nature of illicit drug taking. An exploratory study on drug use among prisoners, which was part funded by my Department, was published in 2001 by the Health Research Board. This study, which focused on the Mountjoy Prison complex, found that once imprisoned, those who continued to engage in illicit drug use, greatly reduced the quantity of drugs they used and the frequency with which they used them, when compared to their drug use in the community. The study also found that initiation into drug use in the prison setting was rare.
There is no anecdotal evidence to suggest that the use of illegal drugs in prisons is on the increase. On the contrary, some indications are that there has been a decrease in the use of illegal drugs in recent times. The introduction of the methadone maintenance programme in a number of our prisons has resulted in a significant number of offenders who would have been on report for using illegal drugs in the prison environment now being on a stable programme where they must supply at least two urine samples per week. The Governor of Mountjoy Prison has also reported that there appears to be a reduction of the number of prisoners appearing at disciplinary hearings having been found in the possession of drugs or drugs paraphernalia. The new visiting arrangements in the prison and the methadone maintenance programme referred to above appear to be two of the reasons behind this decrease.
The Irish Prison Service is resolutely committed to tackling drug abuse in prisons in a comprehensive manner and has my full support in this. It involves a twin track approach of preventing supply and addressing the needs of addicts.
I will publish a drug policy for prisons this year which will comprehensively address the issues of prevention and treatment of drug abuse among prisoners.