Encouraging signs on prison drugs

There has been a significant reduction in the percentage of prisoners testing positive to illicit drugs in Victorian prisons.

The Minister for Police and Emergency Service, Bill McGrath,  said a report to the Drugs Cabinet Committee showed 4.2 per cent of the prison population tested positive to illicit drugs in the Victorian prison system in the first quarter of 1998/99, down from 6.3 per cent at the same time in 1997/98.

Under State Government standards all prison providers are required to randomly drug test five per cent of all prisoners each month. In addition the Government has introduced a system where the Correctional Services Commissioner conducts further independent drug testing. Under this additional testing regime, 417 prisoners were tested in the four months to September.

Mr McGrath said special drug control exercises routinely conducted at Victorian prisons included a barrier control program, prisoner and cell searches, visitor surveillance and the use of sniffer dogs.

(News Release, Office of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, 26 November 1998)