INMATES 'AFRAID' TO REPORT OVERDOSES

PRISONERS were dying from drug overdoses because fellow inmates were
afraid to tell officers when drug-takers had fallen ill, the Brisbane
Coroners Court was told yesterday.

Drug and alcohol counsellor Rowena Solomon told a coronial inquest
into the death of an inmate at Sir David Longlands Jail that because
of the punitive response by prison authorities, other inmates were
reluctant to draw attention to sick prisoners who had taken drugs.

Coroner Gary Casey is conducting the inquest into the circumstances
surrounding the death of Bradley John Childs on August 1.

Childs, 37, was serving a sentence for traffic offences at the
time.

Ms Solomon said another inmate told her Childs had two shots of heroin
within about half an hour of each other the night before he died.

She said his cellmate told her that he had to help Childs into bed
because he was "un-steady on his feet" and that although he did not
change position all night, he could hear him breathing.

Ms Solomon said after the cellmate had a shower in the morning, he
noticed Childs skin had gone a "bluey, grey" colour and he called
another inmate in to look at him before they went for help.

"Something that really concerns me about this whole situation of drugs
in prisons is that there is too many people who are dying and being
put at risk," Ms Solomon said.

"People are not going to tell someone in time to save them because
they know that the prisoner will be punished."

Punishment could include solitary confinement, points off their
classification and restrictions on visits with family, she said. "I
think if Brad Childs had been resuscitated (early enough and survived)
he would have been punished, so why would you put a friend in a
circumstance like that," she said.

Ms Solomon believed if someone had alerted authorities sooner. Childs
could still be alive.

She told the coroner that Sir David Longlands prison did have drug
counselling and courses available but it depended on the will of the
prisoner to take part.

"I don't personally think there is a great deal of rehabilitation
going on," she said.

She said prison life at the moment was so "horrendous" that some
inmates used drugs because they could see no other way of making
themselves feel better.

Five inmates also gave evidence at the inquest, four of them
criticising the lack of help and punishment of prisoners using drugs.

Gregory James Clark, who knew Childs for some years and had the cell
next to him. said he saw heroin being "swung on a line" into the block
on the morning that Childs died.

He spoke to Childs the previous night before lock-up and did not
believe be was under the influence of drugs.

Clark told Mr Casey he was well-known for being against drugs and had
written a response to the Mengler Report on drugs in prison which he
believed was now in the hands of the Queensland Corrective Services
Commission.

The inquest has been adjourned to a date to be set.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady