PRISONER SAYS DENIAL OF METHADONE A CHARTER VIOLATION

TORONTO - A federal court judge will hear the case of a prisoner who says
inmates with heroin addictions should have access to methadone treatment
programs while serving time.

Long-term offender Barry Strykiwsky says he spent most of his life robbing
people to pay for his heroin addiction.

He says four years ago he wanted to end his addiction, and begged prison
officials to let him begin methadone treatments. Strykiwsky says his
doctors supported him, but prison officials refused his request.

Strykiwsky then filed a lawsuit alleging the federal government broke the
law and violated his charter rights by not providing him with a treatment
available to other Canadians.

"We should have the same standards of health care as people on the street,"
said Strykiwsky.

Shortly after his lawsuit was filed, Strykiwsky was given methadone and
prison officials asked him to drop his case.

Strykiwsky refused, saying that without court backing, his methadone could
be taken away from him at any time.

Some activists say it makes no sense to withhold methadone in prisons.

Ralf Jurgens, head of the Canadian HIV-AIDS Legal Network calls it
"mind-boggling" that this medical treatment is not more readily available
in prisons.

A recent study by staff at the federal Corrections Department showed that
methadone treatment reduces the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C in prisons.
It also reported that inmates put on methadone are less likely to reoffend
once they are released.

"Methadone should have been more widely available in prison systems for
years already and I really don't understand why this has to go to court,"
said Jurgens.

A spokesperson for the federal commissioner of corrections says officials
are reviewing the issue -- but it's not clear when, or if, a full-scale
methadone program will go ahead.

Written by CBC News Online staff