DRUG PROBLEM MORE PREVALENT AMONG PRIVATE PRISON INMATES

OKLAHOMA CITY -- State officials are at a loss to explain why inmates in
private prisons tested positive for drugs three times more often than their
counterparts in state-run facilities.

Random drug testing in November indicated 16 percent to 17 percent of a
random sampling of inmates in private medium-security facilities tested
positive for drugs, compared with 5 percent at public medium-security
prisons, said Patty Davis, Oklahoma Department of Corrections programs
director.

"We are at this time investigating why there are differences and why there
would be such a variance," said Charles Ray, assistant warden for the Davis
Correctional Facility, a private facility in Holdenville.

Private facilities say they have the same inmate-property policy and
visitation policy as state-run facilities.

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections recently changed its property
policy, making it more restrictive, in an effort to reduce contraband.

Drugs get into prison through visitors and employees.

Ray said a variance in drug testing methods could be a reason why more
inmates in private facilities are showing up positive for drug use.

However, others discounted that as a possible reason.

The variance surprised Lawton Correctional Facility Warden Dayton Poppell.

"We are aware of it because we received word from the Oklahoma Department
of Corrections," Poppell said. "We are taking steps to try to stem that."

But Poppell said his facility only recently began contracting with the state.

"It doesn't necessarily mean it is coming in through this facility,"
Poppell said. "They could have used prior to getting to this facility."

Officials can't tell yet from the data whether more drugs are entering
private facilities compared with public facilities, said David Miller,
Oklahoma Department of Corrections chief of population management and
fiscal operations.

"If it continues over time, I would say we have a significant problem,"
Miller said.

November marked the first time reliable data has been available, Davis said.

Systemwide, including all levels and private facilities, 7 percent of the
inmates tested positive in November for drug use, which is below the
national average of 9 percent, Davis said.

"I want to look at it a little bit over time before jumping to
conclusions," Miller said. "Detection of drugs in any institution is a
problem. I just want to see how extensive the problem is."

Of the former inmates released under probation and parole supervision, 22.8
percent tested positive for drugs.

Davis said that figure doesn't surprise her because many offenders who
enter prison have a drug problem. On the outside, it is harder to control,
she said.

Oklahoma's maximum- and medium-secure facilities had a higher percentage of
inmates test positive than inmates held in minimum-secure and community
facilities.

Maximum-secure facilities had 6.85 percent test positive. Medium- secure
facilities had 8.85 percent test positive. Meanwhile, minimum- secure
facilities had 4.9 percent test positive while community facilities had
5.63 percent test positive.

On a monthly basis, corrections officials randomly test 5 percent of the
inmate population for drugs.