Source: The West Australian Contact: FAX: +61 8 94823830 Pubdate: Fri, Sep 4, 1998 Source: The West Australian Page: 27 Author: Bronwyn Peace VISITORS BLAMED FOR PROBLEM OF DRUGS IN JAIL MOST drugs circulating in the jail system are brought in by prisoners' families and friends during visits, according to the Justice Ministry. The ministry made the comments after District Court judge Valerie French spared a man from jail after he was found guilty of selling heroin because he stood a greater chance of becoming addicted to drugs in jail than if he was let free. Timothy Raymond Louis Pola, 32, of Woodlands, was fined $6000 on Wednesday after being found guilty of selling $100 worth of heroin outside a methadone clinic. "He will be placed in an institution that will no doubt keep him secure, but one in which it is commonplace knowledge that the dissemination of drugs is perhaps even more free than it is in the community," Judge French said. Justice Ministry acting director of prison operations Kim MacColl said extensive monitoring of prisoners showed drugs were available in jails and most were brought in by prisoners' family members on visits. "Such visits, however, of family members and friends, are a vital means of retaining community contact" Mr MacColl said. Visits were an important aspect of prisoners rehabilitation and the ministry tried to manage the drug problem while retaining family visits, he said. Visitors were searched by sniffer dogs and prisoners were randomly strip-searched after visits. Convicted drug users were denied contact visits with family and friends and drug traffickers were temporarily denied entry to visit. Prison Officers' Union industrial officer Jeff Secker did not know what percentage of drugs were smuggled into jails during visits but said not all visitors were guilty. "It is not our opinion that all visitors bring in drugs," he said, "there are a lot of genuine people out there who have got family relations in the system." He knew of no evidence that prison officers brought drugs into prisons and said they were well aware of the penalties of such action. Mr Secker said he would be surprised if drugs were more widespread in prisons than in the community. "Access to drugs is more readily available, we would expect, out in the community but there is no doubt that there is an availability of drugs within the prison system," he said. He admitted some prisoners might become drug addicts while incarcerated but could not provide statistics. "It may occur that people come in who have never used drugs before and due to the circumstances become drug dependent," Mr Secker said. Senator Ross Lightfoot said the judge's decision not to jail the man epitomised all that was wrong with the justice system. "While I commend the police for their work, I can only condemn the judiciary for, once again, failing to accept the responsibility that the wider public expect of them," he said. Police Commissioner Bob Falconer said there were always problems outside treatment clinics where known drug users frequented. He said police tried to handle the issue of drug dealing outside clinics sensitively and kept the interests of treatment-seekers in mind. Attorney-General Peter Foss refused to comment. - --- Checked-by: Mike Gogulski