Prison drug tests fail
Barwon inmates face visitor ban with one in seven returning positive result
INMATES at Maximumsecurity Barwon Prison are failing random drug tests at almost double the facility’s target benchmark, latest figures reveal.
About one in seven randomly picked inmates at the state’s most secure prison failed drug tests in March, Corrections Victoria’s latest Drugs in Victorian Prisons Report showed.
The 12.73 per cent failure rate is well above the prison’s government-imposed benchmark of 7.25 per cent, and is the second-worst result for the current financial year — edged out by the 13.21 per cent failure rate in November.
But the prison’s random drug test failure rate for the financial year to March is 8.04 per cent, with preliminary April results expected to be much closer to the benchmark figure.
Heroin treatment replacement drug Buprenorphine was behind 90 per cent of failed urine tests in March — with amphetamines and opiates behind the remainder.
The cheap and widely available prescription opiate — taken as a replacement in the treatment of heroin and methadone dependence — has become the drug of choice for prisoners in Australia.
For the 2017/18 year to March, about 80 per cent of the 238 failed urine tests at Barwon Prison were a result of Buprenorphine readings.
The opiate also featured heavily on the list of contraband items seized from prisoners at Barwon Prison, with 160 units of the drug (typically found in pill form) seized in the 2017/18 year to March.
In that period, contraband seized from prisoners also included 89 edged weapons, 28 tools, seven electronic devices, 16 needles and syringes, 18.5 litres of alcohol and home brew, 118.5 units of prescription medication and 13.5 grams of powder and crystal.
Visitors to the prison were also caught with 48 units of Buprenorphine, 2.8 grams of green vegetable matter and 0.1 grams of powder and crystal during the nine-month period.
Corrections Victoria spokeswoman Courtney Crane said Barwon Prison staff had conducted almost 1500 drug tests in the past year, including targeted testing following intelligence reports.
“Some prisoners and visitors will go to great lengths to attempt to smuggle drugs and other contraband into prison,” Ms Crane said.
“Corrections Victoria does not tolerate illicit drug use in our prison system, and we closely monitor the monthly Drugs in Victorian Prisons Report in order to take targeted action.
“A range of detection measures are in place to minimise the introduction of drugs in prisons. These include the use of drug detection dogs, extensive searching, random and targeted drug testing of prisoners and intelligence operations.
Prisoners caught with illicit drugs faced tough management measures, Ms Crane said, including bans on receiving visitors and from being transferred to more secure units.
“Prisoners are also able to participate in a range of drug treatment programs, which are critical in reducing the harms associated with drug use,” Ms Crane said.