Source: Vancouver Sun Contact: Thu 24 Jul 1997 Thu 24 Jul 1997 The Vancouver Sun News A1 / Front Guards trafficking drugs to prisoners, insider says: Whistleblower fears for his life By: Dianne Rinehart A prison guard at Fraser Regional Correctional Centre said Wednesday an investigation that found correction officers were dealing drugs to inmates and providing them with weapons was shut down by the government because it was ``too hot to handle.'' Ronald Leskun headed up a team of three officers at the centre assigned to determine how inmates were receiving drugs and how to prevent it. But Leskun said in an interview that the investigative team was disbanded in February, after discovering that prison guards were the main source of drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Leskun, who is on sick leave because of stress arising from threats against his life and those against the two other officers on his team and their families, said the director of the centre in Maple Ridge closed the investigation under pressure from other guards who believe in the unwritten code that they should not snitch on their fellow officers. ``The staff code is you don't rat on a fellow officer,'' Leskun said. And he believes prison director Ron Williams was forced to act because other staff threatened to strike over the issue and the government didn't want the hassle. ``As far as I'm concerned, it was the staff running the jail.'' No one is questioning whether Leskun's program was successful. In one memo, Williams wrote he was ``amazed with the results that have been achieved.'' ``Feedback from inmates and from other centres confirms a drastic reduction in the amount of drugs into this centre. Police jurisdictions with the province have been very pleased with the information that has been gathered and conveyed regarding unsolved crime in the community.'' But Williams notes in that memo that charges against some officers for dealing the drugs has caused a split in the staff. Nevertheless, he said he takes pride that the centre did not look the other way. Questioned by the Liberal party in the legislature, AttorneyGeneral Ujjal Dosanjh admitted the program had some successes. But in an interview, he defended his ministry's decision to disband it. ``I found it had some successes, but it had many problems with guards being investigated by guards.'' Dosanjh said he believes allegations against guards should be investigated by police, not by their fellow workers. And he said police investigations into the allegations continue. The program was disbanded so a new investigative group could be created, he said. ``Our intention was to retool the program with the lead being given to police.'' Liberal MLA Mike de Jong who released documents to the media Wednesday that support Leskun's story told the legislature the program was disbanded because it found prison guards responsible for dealing drugs. The government admits two guards were fired for allegedly dealing drugs. But the head of their union, B.C. Government and Service Employees Union president John Shields, is defending the staff who were fired and attacking Leskun. ``I'm angry at the Liberals for smearing our corrections officers,'' Shields said in an interview. ``They have relied on a single individual . . . . He's a Vietnam vet who is not entirely the same as most citizens.'' Shields said there was not a shred of evidence against the fired guards, and police said they did not have enough evidence to arrest them. But the guards did accept a negotiated settlement that required them to give up their jobs, corrections officials said Wednesday. Shields said: ``One just got pissed off and left.'' The other received a $20,000 settlement. Shields said the program was shut down because of Leskun. ``In the case of his carrying out his supervisory role, there were dozens of allegations of harassmenttype behavior on his part.'' Shields said. But Leskun said the harassment complaints against him were by union shop stewards who were harassing him and his staff for breaking the code of silence. ``They booked off sick saying I would physically assault them because I was a former Vietnam war veteran.'' Since the program was halted, drugs and staff and inmate assaults are worse than ever, Leskun said. Leskun said one officer is allegedly having drugs delivered to the prison by a visitor who leaves them in a garbage can. That officer then picks up the drugs and distributes them, he charged. Guards can make hundreds of thousands of dollars dealing drugs to inmates, he said. The demand is unlimited. Meanwhile, Leskun and the other two guards he worked with are the subject of death threats. He said posters of rats are circulating in the prison with the officers' names on them. One officer's car was twice spray painted with threats and Leskun said someone left a bullet from a highpowered rifle in his office ``as a message.'' The officers' wives are so terrified they wrote to Dosanjh, who said he assigned a special officer to investigate their complaints. Leskun said he is now being transferred against his will to a nearby correctional institute at Alouette River. ``The only way to close down the program was to get rid of me.'' And Leskun fears for his safety at Alouette, a prison that he said has one of the worst drug records in the province. ``They're waiting for me to show up just to get me.'' Leskun said he was warned he'd be disciplined if he went to the media, but said he had to stand up to ensure prison guards are not prevented from doing their job. ``If the staff feel they are restricted by the rat clause, or not supported by the union, inmates will get hurt. ``It will grow and someone will get killed.''