McDowell criticised for stance on drugs in prisons

21/11/2005 - 17:40:31
Prison reformers tonight accused Justice Minister Michael McDowell of pursuing ignorant anti-drugs policies after he revealed plans for a zero tolerance crackdown on jailed addicts.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust insisted the minister’s plans to use sniffer dogs and mandatory testing to combat heroin use were another failed gimmick at odds with international experience.

Rick Lines, IPRT executive director, called for a complete re-think insisting the minister had put political posturing ahead of public health.

“The minister’s speech is a vivid illustration of his ignorance of evidence-based prison drugs policy,” Mr Lines said.

“The failure of mandatory drug testing and the success of prison syringe exchange is well documented internationally and easily accessible for anyone interested in examining it.”

At a meeting of prison governors in Portlaoise, Mr McDowell revealed his get tough policy. He said he would impose stricter controls on visits from friends and families insisting that he would not tolerate drugs in jails.

The minister added that he would bring proposals to Cabinet for new statutory sentencing powers for offenders including giving the courts the power to impose orders restricting movement and electronic monitoring.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust called for the Government to abandon plans for testing and follow best international practice, including bringing in a needle exchange programme to cut risks of disease such as HIV and Hepatitis C.

Mr McDowell has described the needle exchange proposal as Alice in Wonderland politics.

Earlier this year the prison service in Scotland announced plans to scrap mandatory drug testing after admitting the policy failed to tackle rising heroin use.

It was also reported Scottish prison officers believed mandatory drug testing encouraged heroin use among prisoners, created a confrontational relationship between staff and inmates and reduced uptake of drug treatment programmes.

Mr Lines said by rejecting alternatives for dealing with the drug problem the minister was trying to appear tough on drugs rather than pushing effective schemes.

Mr Lines said the experience in Scotland had also been documented by prison officials in Britain, Canada, Switzerland and Germany.

“It is indeed ironic that on the same day UNAIDS announced that the number of HIV infections worldwide has topped 40 million persons, our Justice Minister has announced that he has no intention of introducing life-saving HIV prevention programmes into Irish prisons,” Mr Lines said.

“Drug use in Irish prisons is a serious problem requiring a serious solution. Failed gimmicks such as mandatory drug testing are an unwelcome distraction to those of us working to promote comprehensive and effective responses to drug use and HIV/Hepatitis C in prisons based upon solid international evidence.

“The Government must abandon its plans to impose this failed scheme and instead implement comprehensive drug treatment and HIV/Hepatitis C prevention measures such as syringe exchange that reflect international best practice.”

The Prison Officers Association welcomed the move and said they would hold talks with the Department of Justice to discuss funding for the plan.

Mr McDowell said tolerating a drug culture within prisons was not an option.

“I will not accept that drugs in prison are a fact of life about which nothing constructive can be done.

“For many prisoners, imprisonment offers them an opportunity to examine their problems and, with the support of prison services, to try and address them,” he said.