I write in staunch support of the Commissioner of Corrective Services
(Herald, July 12) in his zero-tolerance policy for drugs and needles
in the NSW correctional system.

I am the chairman of the inmate committee at Berrima Correctional
Centre, and I have spent the past eight years in prisons all over this
State.

I, along with a lot of the other inmates inside these centres, agree
that the Department of Corrective Services is doing a great job with
services and programs to help prevent the spread of communicable
diseases. The number of educational programs run in all centres in
this area is very refreshing. I have been involved in a number of
these programs and also worked on a film designed especially for
Aboriginal inmates to educate them about HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Importantly, I think the community should be supportive of the
department in its initiatives in this area. As we are aware, the
long-term effects of the department's policies can affect our
communities later. I strongly believe this is an area the department
takes very seriously.

Todd Gordon,
Berrima.