DRUG OFFENDERS COULD BE SENTENCED TO HOSPITAL WARD

PRISONERS could be incarcerated in hospitals rather than prisons to treat
their drug problems under a NSW Coalition government.

Opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner said prisoners could also
have access to Naltrexone if clinical trials proved successful.

Another program used organic medicines that successfully stemmed the pain
of heroin withdrawal, Mrs Skinner's office said.

Mrs Skinner said prisoners would need permission from the courts to start
the program, which could operate in hospitals - possibly in psychiatric
facilities - secured away from other patients or within prisons.

However, rehabilitation would not include methadone programs with the
Coalition committed to reviewing all such programs.

"This is about making people drug-free, so methadone will not be included,"
she said.

"It will be run as a medical model with a comprehensive range of services
including drug rehabilitation, other healthcare, counselling and support,
programs to develop life skills and with access to education and training."

Opposition Leader Kerry Chikarovski's office said the Coalition was
committed to maintaining the Labor Government's drugs court, which opened
earlier this month.

However, Mrs Skinner said the court was "doomed to failure" unless the
rehabilitation arm of the court was increased.

The Parramatta Courthouse in Sydney's west is providing 300-heroin addicted
criminals the chance to undergo strict rehabilitation instead of prison in
a $12 million two-year trial hailed as an Australian first.