More fail jail’s random drug tests

INMATES at Barwon Prison have been caught out by random drug testing, a new report shows.

Almost 10 per cent of selected prisoners failed random general drug tests at the Lara prison in August, the latest Corrections Victoria Drugs in Prisons Report has revealed.

The 9.62 per cent fail rate was above the prison’s government imposed Random General Benchmark of 8 per cent, which had been raised from 7.25 per cent just a month earlier.

Of the prison’s targeted drug tests, 18.03 per cent were failed.

Heroin replacement drug buprenorphine was again found in the majority of targeted and random positive results, picked up in 17, while opiates were found in two tests.

Buprenorphine, a cheap and widely available prescription opiate, has become the drug of choice for Australian prisoners, and was behind the vast majority of positive drug tests at Barwon Prison in 2017-18 — found in 242 of 307 positive tests.

Last financial year 8.26 per cent of random prisoner drug tests returned positive results at Barwon Prison, failing to meet the State Government imposed benchmark of 7.25 per cent.

A host of prisoners at Barwon were also nabbed with contraband in August, the Drugs in Prisons Report revealed.

During the 31-day month 10 edged weapons were found, 15.5 litres of alcohol and home brew were seized, along with six finds of buprenorphine, seven of prescription medications and two finds of ‘powder and crystal’.

Pictures: DAVID SMITH Arron Flynn had his hands full. HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, KID: Jacey-Leigh Walsh, 8, studies her reflections at the Shell Questacon Science Circus Exhibition, which rolled into the Geelong Leisuretime Centre this week. Bodhi Cookage, 7, is a picture of concentration.