PRISONERS CALL DRUG TEST SLOPPY

FEMALE prisoners have claimed poor drug test procedures at the Metropolitan
Women's Correctional Centre have produced false results.

The State Ombudsman is investigating claims made in a protest petition
signed by 19 prisoners at the Deer Park centre.

The petition lists 17 alleged problems with mass drug screening at the
centre on July 29.

A prisoner said that women had lost contact visits and could lose parole,
education leave and home leave on the basis of positive test results that
were "just not right".

"Nobody's denying prisoners are using drugs, but sloppy, tacky techniques
have been used in testing and they've produced sloppy, inaccurate results,"
the woman said.

She said that one prisoner who tested positive to cannabis provided a
separate urine sample an hour later for a medical complaint and tested
negative.

The prisoners' petition complains of inadequate sterilisation, split and
broken urine bottles and spilt samples.

MWCC general manager Kelvin Anderson yesterday disputed the women's claims
and said they were calculated to avoid the penalties that could be imposed
after disciplinary hearings.

He said he found the claims ironic when private prisons were usually
accused of trying to minimise the number of positive tests because they
could suffer financial penalties if excessive drug use was established.

Mr Anderson said seven cottages were searched and all prisoners in them
drug tested after information that there had been a drug "drop".

No drugs were found during the raids.

Three of the 37 women tested returned positive results.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan