PRISONERS POSITIVE FOR ICE

13 Women In Lockdown At Doc Female Unit

At recent drug screening at the Department of Corrections, 13 women -- 11
detainees and two inmates -- tested positive for drug use.

Thirteen women held at the Department of Corrections tested positive for
drugs, spurring an internal investigation into how the illegal substances
were brought into the Mangilao facility.

In a routine drug and contraband sweep this week at two areas of the
Corrections compound, officials found drug residue in a trash can at the
Female Unit.

Also, drug tests showed 11 detainees and two inmates were found to be using
drugs, including crystal methamphetamine and marijuana.

Further investigation revealed that at least one of the female detainees
brought an undetermined amount of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," by
carrying it in a body cavity.

"We've started an internal investigation to determine whether that one
female detainee was the only source of drugs or if there were other
sources, or if some of the detainees and inmates had ingest the drugs prior
to coming into the facility," said Corrections Director Robert Camacho.

Camacho explained that traces of marijuana and crystal methamphetamine can
stay in a person's system for several months, partly depending on the
consumption amount and the length of time a person was consuming the drugs.

"Some we know for sure did consume the drugs in our facility," Camacho said.

When asked if any Corrections officers are being investigated, Camacho
said: "We always look at all avenues. If there is an inside officer who
assisted in introducing drugs or contraband in the facility, there will be
disciplinary and criminal charges placed against them."

Camacho said the 13 women are under disciplinary lockdown and possibly face
criminal charges for promoting prison contraband and possession of a
control substance.

A detainee is a person at the facility who is waiting to go to court. About
2,500 detainees go through the Department of Corrections each year. An
inmate is a person who already has gone through the court system and is
serving out sentences.

K-9 Unit

Sweeps for drugs and contraband are done periodically, though Camacho said
he would like to do them more frequently.

"It really depends on the cash flow because the drug tests are a bit
expensive," Camacho said.

Last week, Corrections officials made a sweep of the Community Correction
Center, a halfway house in Tiyan.

Of the 35 inmates at the Tiyan facility, Camacho said one individual tested
positive for marijuana.

Camacho said DOC has a relatively small problem with drugs and contraband
being smuggled into the facility, in comparison to past years.

"In any institution in the nation, there's always been an incidence of
drugs. We're lucky because we don't have as big a problem as other
facilities in the mainland," Camacho said.

In an effort to put a stop to the drug smuggling, Camacho is working with
Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency's K-9 Unit to strengthen drug detection.

"Last March we planned to send officers to K-9 drug detection training in
the mainland, but funding issues prevented us from doing that. So using
local resources, five officers have received drug detection training with
the Customs K-9 units," Camacho said.

Also, Camacho said he is coordinating drug detection sweeps with Customs
K-9 units in the near future.

"With the K-9 unit, it'll be more difficult to bring drugs in," Camacho
said. "Ultimately we're trying to help these folks take back their lives,
so we do have drug treatment programs and we have people from different
organizations who come to talk to our inmates."