Pubdate: Sun, 21 Nov 1999
Source: Sunday Telegraph (Australia)
Contact:  2 Holt Street Surry Hills, NSW, 2010
Fax: (02) 9288-2300

SYRINGES IN JAIL LAW ROW

PEOPLE who smuggle syringes into jail would escape criminal penalty under a 
highly controversial proposed amendment to sentencing laws.

The Greens want the Government to scrap sanctions for smuggling hypodermic 
needles into prison as part of its sentencing reform package.

In a recent briefing note to crossbenchers MLC Ian Cohen sought support for 
removal of a clause in existing laws which makes it an offence to take 
syringes into NSW jails and detention centres.

"The Greens are of the view that it is absolutely essential that inmates 
are supplied with syringes," he wrote.

"The sooner the Government decides to do this the better.

"The supply of syringes in detention centres should not be treated as a 
criminal matter rather, a health and justice issue."

The proposed amendment has outraged prison officers and stunned senior 
Corrective Services personnel.

Prison Officers Vocational Branch spokesman Chris Horgan warned there would 
not be "a single public servant left in the jails" if the proposed 
amendment was accepted.

Since July this year 20 people have been caught trying to smuggle syringes 
into NSW jails. 
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