REFORM TARGETS DRUG USE IN PRISONS

OTTAWA (Southam) - The Reform party called yesterday for a true
"zero-tolerance" policy on drugs in federal prison as a means of combating
high levels of addiction and disease.

The federal government should strive to make prisons drug-free zones, not
tacitly condone substance abuse by handing out bleach to cleanse injection
needles, said Reform MP Randy White.

He blasted a new federal strategy paper, made public Tuesday, that suggests
building on the current approach by looking at prison needle-exchange
programs and studying the literature on new options for drug treatment,
such as prescription heroin.

"This whole report is basically saying maybe we should have safe-injection
houses called prisons," said White, "and that's a serious, serious flaw in
philosophy."

But the national prison service said there's no way to keep Canada's jails
completely drug-free, creating a need for a more comprehensive approach to
the growing health problems.

"Ideally, we would not like to have any drugs in prison," said Diane
Zilkowsky, project manager of the Correctional Service of Canada's drug
strategy review.

However, some contraband will inevitably be smuggled into federal
institutions, despite recent progress toward stemming the flow of drugs,
she said.

The federal strategy paper on drugs in prison says the service must do
"everything in its power" to stop the rampant spread of HIV and hepatitis
by inmates who share needles.

Up to 40 per cent of federal prisoners have hepatitis C.

Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay has admitted the drug problem in
prisons is serious.