PA. PRISONS 99 PERCENT DRUG-FREE

GRATERFORD, Pa., - The National Institute of Justice
says the number of Pennsylvania inmates who tested positive for
illegal drugs has plummeted by nearly 80 percent in the past two years.

According to a new study by the Department of Corrections and the
National Institute of Justice, the state's prisons now are nearly 99
percent drug-free.

The study measured the prevalence of drug use inside prisons, examined
detection technology and evaluated interdiction strategies.

``We believe the results prove that we are nearing our goal of zero
tolerance for illegal drugs inside our prisons,'' said Corrections
Secretary Martin F. Horn.

The study underscores the usefulness of hair testing for drug
detection and is the first to use the method to monitor a prison drug
crackdown.

The project involved testing of inmates' hair and urine for illegal
substances in 1996 and 1998, then comparing the results. In the years
between the tests, the Corrections Department launched efforts to
battle drug use by inmates.

To stop drugs from entering the prison, the department began using
electronic drug-detection devices, monitoring inmate telephone calls
and searching staff.

To find hidden drugs, the department increased the number cell
searches. Inmates, visitors and staff who engage in drug activities
were punished and prosecuted.

The study found the share of inmates testing positive for any drug
fell from 7.8 percent in 1996 to 1.4 percent in 1998.

The study found the use of marijuana - the drug for which inmates most
frequently tested positive - declined from 6.5 percent in 1996 to 0.3
percent in 1998.

All the state's prisons experienced dramatic declines in the number of
positive drug tests.