20% OF PRISONERS CLAIM DRUG USE BEGAN IN CUSTODY

One in five prisoners who inject drugs say they began doing so while in
custody, according to a report which examines the level of drug use and
related illnesses in Irish prisons.

Published yesterday by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform,
the report was commissioned to explore the level of HIV, hepatitis B and C
infection in the State's prisons. The report also found that over one-third
of Irish prisoners suffered from hepatitis C.

Infection levels were found to be slightly higher in women than in men,
with 42 per cent of women shown to have been infected with hepatitis C as
opposed to 37 per cent of men.

The infection rates were highest among drug-users, where the prevalence of
hepatitis B was 19 per cent, hepatitis C 81 per cent and HIV 4 per cent.

The prevalence of hepatitis C was higher in younger prisoners, and those
who had spent longer in prison were more at risk from infection, the report
found. Although injecting drug-use was associated with increased risk for
all three infections, sexual practices were also a significant factor; a
history of treatment for sexually-transmitted infections was linked to
increased risk of both HIV and hepatitis B.

The study was carried out by the Department of Community, Health and
General Practice at Trinity College among 1,205 prisoners in nine prisons
in the State. Those taking part completed a four-page questionnaire and
provided a sample of oral fluid for testing for antibodies to hepatitis B,
hepatitis C and HIV.

Over half the respondents to the questionnaire reported opiate use and 43
per cent (60 per cent of women) admitted having injected drugs. The
majority of these were in the higher-risk prisons in Dublin. Of those who
injected in prison, 58 per cent said they had shared drug-injecting
equipment. Just over one in five of those prisoners who injected said they
had started in prison.

The director-general of the Prison Service, Mr Sean Aylward, said yesterday
that he welcomed the report. He described the findings as "highly significant".

While accepting that the scientific basis of testing oral fluid samples was
beyond doubt, he said that there was a "small question mark" over declared
personal drug histories given by participants. "This is particularly
relevant in relation to the claim that 21 per cent of respondents began
injecting drugs in prison", he said. The figure might be correct, but it
did not have the same scientific reliability as the others, he added.

Addressing recent calls for changes in the way the prison medical services
are managed he confirmed that an overall review of the structure and
organisation of healthcare was under consideration. "Unfortunately, there
is not a queue of people in healthcare services lining up to work in the
prisons", he said.

The 67-page study, which cost almost pounds 50,000, was carried out in
September and November last year. It includes a number of unsolicited
comments and observations from the survey team, such as the fact that
prisoners expressed concern about the sharing of toothbrushes and razors in
prisons.

According to the report, some prisoners also mentioned that they would not
want to be tested for any of the viral diseases, as they were likely to be
interrogated rather than counselled. "If they had a disease", the report
stated, "they were treated with a very obvious non-touch technique. This
disease seemed more contemptible than their crime."

People with HIV, hepatitis and TB were reported to be treated very poorly
by prison officers, as there was an abnormal fear of contracting the diseases.

All the findings of the survey team would be taken into consideration, Mr
Aylward said.