NEWS: Govt mulls needle exchange program for jail inmates

[Flexistentialist]

Govt mulls needle exchange program for jail inmates

The ACT Government is considering giving needles and syringes to inmates at Canberra's new prison in a bid to stop the spread of disease.

If the plan gets the go-ahead, it would be the country's first jail to implement the scheme.

The city's first jail will open in about two years and Health Minister Simon Corbell says the move would help prevent the spread of diseases like HIV and hepatitis A.

"Drugs get into prisons - that is a fact of life, even in maximum security prisons and we know that they are injected and we know that needles are shared in prisons - it happens right around Australia," he said.

"So the issue for us is how can we minimise the spread of disease that comes from that type of behaviour."

Greens MLA Deb Foskey says a needle exchange program should be introduced so inmates are provided with the same level of health care as the general public.

Ms Foskey says prisoners need to be protected against diseases like HIV and hepatitis A.

"We all know that drugs are used in prisons, it's not possible to rule it out, so we really should be making sure that the health of users is safeguarded because people aren't in prison forever," she said.

The Australian Hepatitis Council has called for the ACT Government to implement the needle and syringe program for Canberra inmates.

Hepatitis council president Stuart Loveday says the benefits of the program would also be felt by the wider community.

"Because needle and syringe programs are widely available in the general community we think it's vitally important, both as a human rights issue and as a public health issue, to have that health service equivalent inside jails as well," he said.

The ACT Government is expected to make a final decision within a year.

 

[chugs]

wait for the shock jockeys to start their rants...

if the ACT government (or for that matter any government) agreed to allow the need exchange program would it be tantamount to saying that prisons are unsecured (when they are meant to be secure) thus the government in charge is failing it's duty to ensure the prisoners are serving their punishment pursuant to the expectations of our society (i.e. they should not be allowed to "enjoy" themselves with drugs).

Obviously the government allows drugs into prisons as without them they would became completely unmanageable.

nb: i personally think the whole concept of prison is a complete failure and does nothing to solving the problems crime causes, if anything it causes and adds to the problem in the first place.

 

[ayjay]

We are so dragging the chain on this one. We used to be a world leader with our extensive needle exchange programs, but we still can't get 'em into prisons. And this is despite pretty much everyone agreeing that prisons are a major factor in hep C transmission. To give an example of how badly we are doing - a trial needle exchange opened last year in a prison in Tehran! In Canada last month, a tattoo parlour opened in a prison (the other main way hep C gets transmitted in prisons is unsterile tattooing) ( http://www.cbc.ca/nl/story/ns_tattoo_20051111.html )

It's about time we caught up on this one

 

[Cowboy Mac]

Chrisopher Pyne: But drugs are illegal and shouldn't get into prisons!

 

[phase_dancer]

After recently reviewing epidemiological studies involving Hep C antibody prevalence among IV drug users and how common this is in prisons, I can say with good confidence that unless something is done along the lines of a needle exchange program in prisons, then the community as a whole is very likely to be affected through rising infection rates.

Various factors involved with the inmate status make it very difficult to successfully gauge just how many infected inmates leave prison with these diseases. As can be imagined, participants in prison surveys are less likely to admit to drug use or to participating in unsafe injecting practices.

Incidence of Hep C antibody positive users continues to grow, and that is of great concern, but Hep A is a different matter altogether, as it can be contracted through other means, such as via food. It is also known to be spread via a bong or anything else that may be put in the mouth if it has any trace of faeces from an infected person, such as someone not washing their hands properly after defecating.

From e-medicine

# Close contacts of infected individuals are also at risk. The secondary infection rate for HAV in household contacts of patients with acute HAV infection is around 20%. Thus, secondary infection plays a significant role in the maintenance of HAV outbreaks.

 

[mrK!NGP!N]

What about the Junkies using blood filled darts as offensive weapons towards Prison officers ??? Canberra is full of imbreds and this just proves it. My mates in jail dont use needles as they have seen the ugly side where people get Hiv and their rotting away , so my mates stick to drinking methadone. If Junkies in jail want to use old needles and get diseases thats fine with me.Common sense is dont use needles in jail !!

 

[Urbie]

off topic.... but is there any prisons in Australia give out condoms?

 

[lilmadox]

urbie I'd imagine at best you could buy them, but then I don't know if they'd have them in the first place I am just speculating.

 

[MethTheChef]

off topic.... but is there any prisons in Australia give out condoms?

Yes in most jails via non-cash vending machines.

There's even methadone programs, and some places give out bleach for sterilization.

 

[phase_dancer]

What about the Junkies using blood filled darts as offensive weapons towards Prison officers ???

What's to stop someone with Hep A from smearing a bit of blood or similar around a prison officer or other inmate? ...just follow the habits of the intended recipient; where he touches, places his hand etc, and then apply the infected material.

The point is that the disease is prevalent in prisons and so can be spread anyway - NSE programs or not. Clean Syringes simply means incidence is likely to be reduced, meaning the contagious disease - the weapon- is closer to being elliminated

Canberra is full of imbreds and this just proves it. My mates in jail dont use needles as they have seen the ugly side where people get Hiv and their rotting away , so my mates stick to drinking methadone. If Junkies in jail want to use old needles and get diseases thats fine with me.Common sense is dont use needles in jail !!

Well that may be the more sensible behavior, but it's not adopted by all inmates. Some people actually state that their first needle use is inside. It happens, and so it's hardly effective to just "say no". In an environment where the rush from injecting may be the most exciting thing to look forward to, it's impractical to expect every IDU will lay down the pick for the little cup of methadone.

Syringes should be handed out. Many of these people enter the community as infected, and often without knowing they are infected. So the repercussions of shared syringes in prisons is not confined simply to inmates and prison workers, it's also felt by the wider community.

 

[zaineaol.nu]

It is a stupid idea...

Now they're going to provide them weapons to stab eachother with??

Come on!!

plainly said, alot of these crims are fukd in the head, and are quite willing to stab someone.. some of them vendictive enough (if they had a blood borne virus - ie: Hep a/b/c/HIV) to stab themselves with the needle, or use it then stab someone they dont like - which is far more painful in the long run...

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid idea...

In the interest of harm minimisation, they should think of the mentality of the monkey's they're supplying with what could be used as weapons!

I'm not saying everyone in prison is a a fuckwit.. but there are an abundance of morons who'd stab that poor guy who was wrongly accused of something he didnt do and is the little guy, never touched a drug in his life type.

I think these issues need to be looked upon further than just saying.. hey lets give em syringes...

If anything, tighten security on contraband.. or give the fuckers pipes to smoke it with...

Either way, my side of the story is a bit biased, but i've known alot of people who have been to prison/are in prison as we speak - and from what they tell me, this idea is like giving a child some napalm

 

[mrK!NGP!N]

Phase ... Hep A is very treatable and curable unlike B and C And manditory that prison officers get hep A and B vaccine shots before they start work at a jail. Im just implying that needles in jails at moment are not as easy to obtain as actual drugs them selves and if needles were readily available to inmates that we would see a rise in assaults with needle attacks or threats. Yes these infected people end up back in the community but they often stick to their own circles .. i.e. Junkies. All heavy I.V. users i know have Hep C except for the ones with some intelligence that didnt share needles. Did you ever stop to think what most of these junkies are doing in jail for their hit of smack ??
Theres a meth prog and so in in jail to help people from wanting to stick a needle in their arm so if an inmate will turn that down and go for the dirty needle rush then so be it.People make choices in their lives and thats the way it is.A needle program in jail is a joke,might as well open a pub in the place as well.

 

[Hater]

yeah im all for harm minimisation thats why i think its not a good idea to give convicted criminals weapons just because it helps them inject their illegal drugs easier

how can they even think of doing things like this while they demonize much safer harm minimisation initiatives such as pill testing or marijuana legalisation

stupid pricks

 

[phase_dancer]

Get with Technology guys!!

A simple way of reducing the likelihood of stabbings would to employ serial number stamped, single use, retractable syringes.

smartsyringe


Here's a page on the Unitract, an Australian invention.

Unitract

 

[chugs]

if they were distributed then the prisoner in question would have be required, once utilised, to return it.

Perhaps only one retractable stringle at a time could be given, and would need to be returned within x time otherwise prisoner X would be searched/punished/beaten/or given a stern talking to...

 

[BongoBongo]

Actually, a good idea for drug harm minimization!

To Quote Zaineol.nu

"It is a stupid idea...
Now they're going to provide them weapons to stab each other with??"

A good idea for weapon maximization. Your right on the ball with that one Zain!!!!!!

Hmmmm....what's the answer

Come on!!

 

[zaineaol.nu]

see, its not even drug harm minimisation, because in the end, it's the drugs causing the harm - because in order to get the weapons, drugs caused it...

So all in all, harm would stem from drugs...

And they cant give them some kind of crack house or otherwise...

IMO they should just give them some kind of disposable pipe, or foil for them to smoke the shit off...

90% of the drugs going thru the system is weed anyway - and im sure they have ways of smoking that...

I'm taking that from my cousins word, no one elses...

But that retractable syringe thing would work in theory... but there is still the possibility of it being used as a weapon long before it's used for an actual injection - or even just puncturing the skin, then stabbing someone who is not infected - still more harm than good - but its a good idea for the general public - one i'd like to see implemented

 

[Flexistentialist]

The retractables available all suffer a similar design flaw which resulted in the federal government ending a trial of their introduction. When it retracts the last bit of blood in the plunger is squirted out, causing blood splatters. This causes more risks than it reduces so they're out of the question for now.

The fact is the introduction of NSPs (needle and syringe programs) in prison has been researched and discussed in detail for many years. Have a look at what a quick google search brought up. People who think NSPs in jail will allow prisoners to use them as weapons are ignoring the fact that there are already needles in jail. Prisoners are already able to access needles if they want to stab a screw in the neck. There's no evidence from the jails where NSPs have been introduced that syringes have been used as weapons at any higher rate than prior to the NSPs.

Last I heard there are four countries who provide clean needles in jails. The research from these programs has shown a number of things such as:

* prison staff support the programs in the jails where they have been introduced

* there is no evidence that syringes are used as weapons with any more frequency than they currently are

* there is no evidence of increased drug use by inmates

* there is evidence that rates of blood borne viruses are reduced following the introduction of these programs

Needle exchange ends HIV transmission in Swiss jail AIDS Policy Law. 1996 Jul 26;11(13):9

Prison-based syringe exchange programmes: a review of international research and development Addiction. 98 (2):153-158, February 2003

The transfer of harm-reduction strategies into prisons: needle exchange programmes in two German prisons The International Journal of Drug Policy, Volume 11, Number 5, 1 September 2000, pp. 325-335(11)

There are plenty more sources around too if anyone would like more info on this issue.

The poster who thinks "Yes these infected people end up back in the community but they often stick to their own circles .. i.e. Junkies." you have no idea what you're talking about. Viruses like HIV, hep B and hep C will be transmitted to anyone who comes into contact with blood or (excluding hep C) semen / vaginal fluids. This means the partners of injectors and their children are also at risk, and their partners and children and so on.

Also, unsafe tattooing and piercing practices in jails have contributed to the high rates of blood borne virus transmission. Introducing NSPs will help to address this group of the prison population too.

 

[phase_dancer]

Informative post Flexistentialist, thanks

 

[Flexistentialist]

Just saw this on ABC news website.

Call for needle exchange program in jails

Friday, November 25, 2005. 7:09pm (AEDT)

Australian governments are being urged to implement needle exchange programs in prisons because of high levels of hepatitis C infections among inmates.

Irish Penal Reform Trust spokesman Rick Lines has told a workshop on blood-borne viruses in Sydney today that prison needle exchange programs have been implemented successfully in 50 countries around the world.

In Australia, 34 per cent of all inmates have hepatitis C, while more than 50 per cent of drug users in prisons have the disease.

Mr Lines says needle exchange programs do not condone drug use.

"Syringe exchange programs in prisons don't condone drug use any more than syringe exchange programs in the community," he said.

"They should be working hand-in-hand with other approaches to drugs in the community, including supply reduction and interdiction and drug treatment programs for people seeking to get off drugs."