INMATES OUT - ON DRUGS SPLURGE

FOUR inmates who were allowed a special weekend away from Risdon
Prison on cultural leave have tested positive to drugs.

They returned positive tests after spending a weekend camping on the
East Coast to mark the start of the mutton-bird egg-laying season two
weeks ago.

Furious Attorney-General Peter Patmore has labelled the situation
"disgusting" and said that cultural leave arrangements would be
reviewed immediately.

He wants answers from the people supervising the prisoners while they
on the camping trip from November 27-29. The inmates were granted
leave under legislation which allows Aboriginal prisoners to attend
events of cultural significance.

The granting of the leave permit caused friction at the prison, with
non-Aboriginal prisoners sayinq they did not have the same rights as
Aboriginal prisoners.

The four inmates, who visited Eddystone Point and the Mt William
National Park, were drug-tested on their return.

Mr Patmore said every prisoner who left jail on cultural leave would
be tested before leaving and after returning. He said he would ban
cultural lean if there was another positive result.

"I was disgusted," he said.

"These people have been let out on trust and they have abused it. It
sends a terrible message to the prison community and to the public."

"People have every right to expect that when inmates are let out on
leave, they will do the right thing."

Mr Patmore said the four inmates would he banned from any further
leave for at least six months.

He also said the drugs policy at the prison, which allows for only a
$50 fine to be handed down to each prisoner, would be revoked.

Labelling the drug policy "totally inadequate", Mr Patmore said that a
new, tougher policy would be in place by Monday.

"I am astonished that no one had the wit to say it [the present
policy] was entirely inappropriate," he said.

In a farther attack on prison managers, Mr Patmore said his own office
would write the new policy, not the prison department.

The four prisoners involved in the scandal are serial armed robber
Shane West, 23, who is serving a five-year term, and home invader Tray
Kane Wordsworth, 20, who is serving three years.

The other prisoners are Nathan Riley, who is serving a term for
committing more than 100 burglaries, and Robert Riley.

The four inmates were released into the custody of the Aboriginal
community for the cultural leave.

Checked-by: derek rea