Pubdate: Tue, 05 Sep 2000
Source: The Irish Examiner
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 2000
Pubdate: 5 September 2000
Contact:   http://www.examiner.ie/
Author: Cormac OíKeeffe

PRISONERS FACING THE ADDITIONAL PUNISHMENT OF DRUG ADDICTION

SUCCESSIVE reports over the years have highlighted the scale of the
drugs crisis in Irish prisons.

The most recent report, by the Mountjoy Visiting Committee in 1998,
found that up to 85% of prisoners had a history of drug abuse, and
identified the infiltration of illegal drugs into Mountjoy as a
serious problem.

A report by Mountjoyís medical officer in charge of the detoxification
programme at the end of last year was highly critical of the
Department of Justice.

The programme was not being prioritised by officials, said Dr Des
Crowley, who was also critical of the discontinuation of a heroin
addictís methadone treatment once they entered prison.

Dr Crowley said many who are drug free in the community end up back on
heroin in jail because they canít get methadone.

ìI feel the Department of Justice are leaving themselves wide open to
serial litigation if the consequence of discontinuing recognised
treatment while under their care is the contraction of blood borne
viruses or other health problems associated with unsafe use of
injecting materials,î he said.

A report published this year found that one in five prisoners first
injected drugs in prison, while researchers from Trinity College
Dublin found that over 70% shared needles.

Hepatitis infection rates have reached 37% among prisoners, roughly
80% of which are active heroin users, the research team found.

The number of drug seizures revealed today provide further evidence
that drugs are being brought into Irish jails.

Experts say the figure seized represents just a fraction of the total
amount of drugs circulating in jails.

A study of Irish female prisoners in 1996 estimated that 60% had taken
drugs and that almost all of these continued to take them after being
committed. The vast majority were described as chronic heroin addicts.

A second report on the prison drugs crisis by Dr Paul OíMahony in 1997
found that drug abuse other than cannabis had more than doubled from
37% to 77% in the ten years since 1986. In 1998 the Government drew up
a Draft Action Plan to address the prison drugs crisis and found that
the problem was most acute in Mountjoy Jail.

It highlighted concerns that the prison could facilitate the spread of
infectious diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV.

The report said efforts to address this major problem had been
hampered by a combination of lack of resources and chronic
overcrowding.

ìBoth internal and external medical and other sources have, on
repeated occasions going back a number of years, flagged the need to
tackle this problem aggressively given the significant health and
social issues involved.î

The report noted that while some steps had been taken to address the
issue the overall response was inadequate and the prison situation has
fallen further behind that in the general community.

The authors of the report said it was essential that methadone be
provided to those prisoners who had received the treatment before
entering prison.

The report recommended that the middle floor on the Medical Unit in
Mountjoy Prison be cleared to provide methadone to these prisoners by
October 1, 1999.

It envisaged that a variety of treatment options would be in place by
the end of 1999, but to date, none of these proposals have been
implemented.

A report by a steering group set up to implement the draft plan has
recommended the establishment of a National Drug Treatment Centre in
Mountjoy and comprehensive drug treatment services in all the main
Dublin prisons.

Under the plan, the first phase of the centre in Mountjoy would be a
methadone maintenance programme for stabilised addicts in the medical
unit and later a drug treatment wing for those coming out of the unit.

The report also proposes the employment of counsellors, nurses,
doctors and consultants in substance abuse, as well as an overall co
ordinator.

The plan will go before the Cabinet at the end of September for
approval.

A Prisons Service spokesman that a methadone maintenance programme
would be set up soon in Mountjoy for addicts already on a programme.

He said there were difficulties in extending the programme to other
addicts but said discussions were ongoing.
- ---