Syringe program may benefit the ACT jail

By ALANA SHEGOG
A NEEDLE syringe program may be introduced at Canberra’s Alexander Maconochie Centre after an 18 month review.

The program means prisoners are given clean syringes while taking illegal drugs to stop the spread of infection caused by exchanging needles. The president of the Family and Friends Drug Law Reform, Brian McConnell, said yesterday (11 March 2010) that the program would reduce the spread of blood-borne viruses in prison.

“In the ACT inmates with a blood borne virus amount to about 60%, thus there is a very high risk of cross infection,” he said. “And when the inmate’s are released there is a high risk of increased infection in the generalpopulation. The provision of an NSP in prisons would reduce those risks.”

The ACT Government is concerned that the program will encourage prisoners to use illicit drugs in a facility that should be drug free. Studies have shown, however, that the program does not increase the amount of drugs in jails overseas.

“Many overseas countries have recognised the risk and have introduced NSPs in their prisons with no adverse effects,” Mr McConnell said.

ACT health researched the health of prisoners for the past year to see if the NSP would reduce the spread of blood-borne viruses. Their studies, released on a website file, have shown that 56% of males at AMC and 71% of females have Hepatitis C. One prisoner contracted the virus in the facility during the experiment while using an exchanged syringe. Corrective services are worried that the increase in syringes used in the facility may risk the safety of correctional staff. AMC Administration officer Rebecca Chapman said yesterday (11 march 2010) that the safety of correctional staff would not be affected by the introduction of sterile needles.

“Prisoners that do smuggle syringes at AMC have them hidden from the staff,” she said. “If we knew about every syringe in the centre we can control the placement of the syringes.”

AMC is one of the only prisons in Australia that runs under a strict human rights code. Mr McConnell said because of this code it was unfair to offer drug users clean syringes in ACT streets without giving prisoners the same right.

In the meantime detainees are given bleach to sterilise their syringes as a harm minimization tool. If the bill is passed the program will be introduced in September, 18 months after the opening of the AMC facility.