Pubdate: Mon, 14 Jan 2008
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2008 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  http://www.theage.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5
Author: Peter Ker
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://drugnews.org/topics/buprenorphine  (Buprenorphine)

ADDICTION TO DRUGS RIFE IN JAILS

PRISON authorities have expanded drug detection tests  in Victorian 
jails after discovering an increasing  number of inmates abusing a 
heroin addiction  substitute.

The addition of the drug buprenorphine to Corrections  Victoria's 
drug-testing regime comes amid a separate  review into the 
administration of drug users in  prisons, and new statistics that 
reveal scores of  prisoners remain drug-dependent while in Victorian prisons.

Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opiate introduced in  Victoria in 
the late 1990s as a treatment for heroin  dependency in cases where 
methadone was deemed  inappropriate.

Corrections Victoria spokeswoman Christine Panayotou  said trends had 
"indicated an increase in (its) use by  prisoners".

"Drug trends change and as such the testing regime must  also change 
to ensure effective deterrence and  detection," she said.

The three-month trial of buprenorphine tests is  expected to begin in 
coming weeks.

Professor Nick Crofts, from Melbourne University's  Nossal Institute, 
said that although buprenorphine was  a treatment drug, it also 
offered users a "high",  increasing its likelihood of being abused.

Corrections Victoria randomly tests about 50 prisoners  each week for 
a range of drugs.

Documents obtained by The Age under freedom of  information laws 
reveal that hundreds of Victorian  prisoners are being convicted of 
drug offences, despite  being in custody.

Since January 2006, the number of inmates regarded as  having the 
most "entrenched drug behaviours" rose to as  many as 93. These 
prisoners are those found guilty of  an offence such as trafficking 
drugs into prison who  then refuse to join drug-free incentive 
programs. They are banned from contact visits with friends and 
family  for up to a year.

The documents also reveal that between January 2006 and  March last 
year, the number of prisoners convicted of  cannabis-related offences 
in prison was significantly  lower than the number of prisoners 
convicted of  offences involving other drugs.

Corrections Commissioner Kelvin Anderson said the  phenomenon was 
linked to the abuse of prescribed  medications.

"It's probably easier for a prisoner to try and do that  than to try 
and introduce the stuff into the prison  system, and cannabis 
obviously would have to come in  from the outside," he said.

Mr Anderson confirmed that Corrections Victoria had  recently held a 
re-evaluation of its "Identified Drug  User (IDU)" program for 
handling inmates who are  convicted of drug offences while behind bars.

He said the program would remain, but authorities were  considering 
whether it would be more effective if it  were more easily understood 
and accessible for  prisoners, family members and corrections staff.

But Professor Crofts said Victorian prisons would never  be free of 
drugs. "Drugs are an issue in prison because  of boredom and lack of 
meaningful occupation. Until the  prison system is reformed then you 
are going to  continue to have a demand for drugs," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom