Needle Exchange Program Delayed for Canadian Prisons
Posted by CDR Help Desk on Jun 25, 2018 in Blog | 0 comments
We reported in May that Correctional Services Canada (CSC) had announced plans to launch a trial needle exchange program in two Canadian prisons this month. Yesterday, CSC announced the planned program for a men’s federal prison and the federal women’s Kitchener institution has been delayed one week. The manager of epidemiology services for CSC said documents needed to be tweaked and redrafted before the program could effectively be rolled out. This program is part of a new harm reduction strategy for Canadian prisons.
Why Introduce Needle Exchange Programs into Canadian Prisons?
There is a strong need for needle exchange programs in Canadian prisons. A 2010 report found that the rates of HIV and Hepatitis C infections in prison are 10 to 20 times higher than that of the general population. Injection drug use and prison tattoos are considered the main reasons for this discrepancy. To help combat this, in 2005 the CSC began a prison tattoo pilot program involving six federal institutions, however the Conservative government of the time ended it in 2006.
Drug use doesn’t stop at the prison gates. First-hand testimony from currently and previously incarcerated people show that drugs are the main currency inside. Guards say they are having to fight infiltration from all areas; drones and slingshots with drug-filled tennis balls are just some of the ways of getting contraband into the facilities. Inmates who previously had no or minor drug problems can end up leaving as opioid addicts, a far cry from the ‘rehabilitation’ prisoners are supposed to go through during their term.
It is clear that drugs are a huge problem in Canadian prisons, and that injection drug use will happen whether it is condoned or not. Needle exchange programs in prisons make public health sense to protect prisoners who are uninfected, as well as guards and other visitors to the institution. Hopefully the pilot programs start soon and can provide a roadmap for future programs.
References:
- Federal Prisons to Begin Needle-Exchange Program
- Needle Exchange Program at Kitchener Women’s Prison Begins Today
- Prison Report Urges Needle Exchange Programs
- Prison Tattoo and Needle Programs Would Help Curb Hepatitis: Internal Memo
- Think Prison Forces an End to Drug Addiction? Think Again
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