Corrections Rejects Jail Needle-Exchange

[Tchort]

ABC News Austrailia

6/18/2009

ACT Corrections has rejected calls for a needle exchange program at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.

A Hepatitis C conference yesterday heard a call from the Public Health Association's Michael Moore for an exchange program to stop dirty needles spreading the disease.

ACT Corrections head James Ryan says a program of that type does not fit with the current model.

"If you do introduce needles for use in the prison you've then got to also have to somehow control what drug goes into it as well," he said.

"Now those that talk about these programs haven't really addressed that issue, they seem to say if the drug gets in there we'll give them a needle.

"We would have a duty of care from both sides."


X-ray scanner

The Alexander Maconochie Centre is trying to fast track the approval of a new x-ray machine to detect drugs being hidden by prisoners.

The jail would become the first in Australia to use the machine in conjunction with other measures like sniffer dogs, searches and other scanners.

James Ryan says approval from the Radiation Council is needed before the machine can be used.

"This device does something that those other means cannot do," he said.

"It's an x-ray device that will show us if someone's introducing drugs by way of hiding them internally."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/18/2602318.htm

 

[drug_mentor]

Ignorant motherfuckers, I don't see whats so controversial about needle exchanges. They are injecting anyway, you reduce the burden on the healthcare system when you take measures to prevent the spread of blood borne disease, it ain't rocket science.

 

[Dragynfyr]

The dirty addicts deserve whatever horrible disease they get I guess =\

In addition to that, they're gonna start frying their organs with regular xrays if they wanna see their family on a regular basis to keep the evil drugs out. jesus christ...

 

[garuda]

What do you think will happen the first time a inmate stabs a guard? Bye bye needle exchange.

 

[Tchort]

What do you think will happen the first time a inmate stabs a guard? Bye bye needle exchange.

Needle exchanges are already available in prisons throughout Europe. If inmates using needles as weapons were a problem it would've made the international news and resulted in closing down of those programs.

Plus a needle is a pretty terrible weapon.

 

[garuda]

Needle exchanges are already available in prisons throughout Europe. If inmates using needles as weapons were a problem it would've made the international news and resulted in closing down of those programs.

Plus a needle is a pretty terrible weapon.

I only have experience with US prison guards and staff but a needle would make an excellent weapon, they were very afraid of being infected with HepC or HIV by inmates. I'm told throwing blood was a common threat from mentally disturbed inmates.

And how goofy is it that if an inmate saves a antacid from the infirmary to take later when they are hurting and they get caught its a big violation and brings down penalties, yet its A OK to hand out syringes for the injection of illicit drugs?!? I can imagine that causing a lot of anger.

And I am sure having a syringe by an inmate is a violation right? So you expect the guards to pretend to not see who goes for the exchange? Yea right.

I just don't see this working with the current culture in US prisons, its too restrictive and controlled.

 

[Tchort]

Prison Needle Exchange: Lessons from a Comprehensive Review of International Evidence and Experience, the first comprehensive review of prison needle exchange programs worldwide, calls upon prison systems and health ministries in countries that have not yet introduced prison needle exchange programs to at least start pilot studies of such programs, in order to protect prisoners, prison staff, and the public from the further spread of blood-borne infections in prisons.

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/ihrd/news/prisonnep_20041027

If such a needle-exchange existed in a US prison, it would be at the behest of the Corrections Department- so it would not be a big secret, or a violation to be in possession. I would imagine any inmate who used such a thing as a weapon wouldn't have access anymore. From what I've read, prisons with needle-exchanges seem to have an unspoken respect among the inmates not to abuse the program.

On 27 October 2004 the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) released reports recommending that needle exchange programs (NEPs) be implemented in prisons, based on evidence that such programs promote and protect the health of both prisoners and prison staff. At the same time, the Scottish Prison Service announced that it was looking at providing such programs, and an Iranian physician reported on a pilot project in his country.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15810131

Do you think Iran, a country thats even further to the right and restrictive of its much hated inmate and addict populations even start a pilot exchange if there was any doubt about its benefits or risks?

 

[garuda]

Just so its clear I'm all for inmates being able to buy whatever drug they want and syringes or whatever from the prison com, I'm for total drug legalization along with syringes. I'm sure making clean syringes availiable to inmates is a good idea, thats not at issue.

What is at issue is culturally I don't know if it would work, you have an enviroment where on paper there should be nothing for inmates to inject. Where OTC drugs handed out by prison medical staff will still get you disciplined if a guard finds you in possession. If you think you can complain about this as an inmate and get results LOL, good luck.

 

[phr]

I'd be for it, but I would have concerns about them being used as weapons. There's a history of everything and anything being used as a weapon in prison. I'd imagine they'd have to weigh that against the benefits.

Still, if I had to prioritize, this would be right under federally funded needle exchanges throughout the country and a national policy of needles being available otc at pharmacies.

 

[Dragynfyr]

For the weapon usage arguments, what if they etched each rig with a unique ID number? Like if your shit you were dispersed were used in an altercation, you would be held responsible (at first). That way people would be returning their old rigs in for new, not reselling or anything.. granted, it leaves room for corruption, like someone could steal one from another person and use it to hurt someone n leave it behind before it was reported, or crooked cops could plant stuff or alter records to their advantage.. all that could be left for the shark lawyers to figure out though, maybe that could be a good starting point for safety measure? It would require a level of trust between prisoner and staff.. that might not be the worst thing in the world these days in there right? A little respect for 'the system' could be a really good thing on the 'can't we all just get along' front

 

[phr]

^
I think you might be getting too into the weapon aspect, man. I'd imagine that most inmates who commit violent crimes inside don't give a fuck about the consequences of being caught.

 

[Dragynfyr]

....... *crumples up paper n chucks into can*

 

[Tchort]

The findings of the Canadian study are listed as

reduce risk behaviour and disease (including HIV and HCV) transmission;
have other positive outcomes for the health of prisoners;
do not endanger staff or prisoner safety, and in fact, make prisons safer places to live and work;
do not increase drug consumption or injecting;
have been effective in a wide range of prisons; and
have successfully employed different methods of needle distribution to meet the needs of staff and prisoners in a range of prisons.

The nations that have such programs that were investigated were "Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus"

The latter 3 countries are former Soviet Socialist Republics who have not faired well since the collapse of the USSR. They have few resources and generally are socially conservative and follow Russia's example on a great number of issues.

Even in these nations, who I'm sure have rougher prisons than any in the US, not only have these programs, but they work for the intended goal without introducing harm to staff and other inmates.

I agree with garuda about the American politicial landscape. If we can't even get a lift on the Federal ban on funding needle-exchanges for the general public through, what chance does this have here?

 

[phr]

I'm not doubting the harm reduction effects of needle exchanges.

I just don't think that they will not be used to cause harm. Either to guards or to other inmates.
As for the places where this program was introduced, what are the inmate/guard assault rates? How do they compare to the rates in the US? From what I've heard, US prisons can be highly segregated into gangs based on ethnicity and race, which breeds violence. Were they introduced in all of the prisons, regardless of their security level?