Program seeks to cut drug use in jail
A NEW drug rehabilitation program will start at Townsville Correctional Centre to help addicts kick their habits.
Prison general manager Jon Francis- Jones said prisoners would be given the opioid- substitution drug Subutex to help treat addiction to opioids such as heroin and cut the incidence of drug dealing in prison.
“It is about offering an alternative to the opioid drugs that people are misusing. It’s a prescribed method. There are programs behind it that teach people how to cope with drug misuse in other ways,” he said.
“I think it will have a wholly positive impact … it is going to take us forward leaps and bounds. I’m very keen to embrace that.”
A starting date for the program, which will be rolled out in Townsville and Mareeba, has not yet been set.
He said the drug rehabilitation program would be offered as part of the medical screening which occurs when inmates arrive at the prison.
“They are asked by Queensland Health medical staff about any drug misuse history and then they’ll be recommended for the program or they can self- elect to be part of the program as well,” he said.
Prison dog handler Luke Stevens said he and his team of seven were finding drugs almost weekly.
“We search the mail first thing in the morning and we then go on to search visitors,” he said.
“We then search the vehicles coming in. We have delivery vehicles coming in constantly, the milk, the bread, the rations.
“Prisoners also work in the community and they’ll use any means necessary to get those drugs in to their mates.”
Mr Francis- Jones said overcrowding continued to be an issue at the men’s jail, which was built for 503 inmates and is housing 647.
“There have been bunks fitted to some of the cells, so we’re very focused on giving everybody a bed. We can’t achieve that all the time but we’re very focused on that,” he said.
Mr Francis- Jones said despite the lack of resources, work practices at the Stuart jail had not suffered. “The additional offenders who we have in our care does place a little bit of pressure on our systems. However, there is additional funding and additional resources that are released … to be able to cope with that,” he said.
“We’re fortunate that across the state … we have some very good staff who are focused on delivering correctional and community services.”
The women’s jail is also 14 prisoners over its capacity of 154. Mr Francis- Jones said the prison was with youth justice on plans to transition 17- yearold offenders out of the adult prison, following the State Government announcement in September.