PAY LSD VICTIMS:

Reform: Law-and-order party calls experiments on inmates `sickening'

The federal government should consider compensating female prisoners used
in ``sickening'' LSD experiments in the early 1960s, says the Reform
Party's justice critic.

``In the Reform party, we're saying (people) have gone too far in terms of
rights and privileges and so on. But this is just absolutely unacceptable.
I don't thing there's anyone in our caucus or anyone across the country who
feels that this is appropriate,'' Reform MP Jack Ramsay said in an
interview yesterday.

Mr. Ramsay, the opposition's justice critic, was responding to a series of
Citizen reports that at least 23 inmates at Kingston's Prison For Women
were used as subjects in experiments with the powerful hallucinogenic drug
LSD. One of the subjects was a 17-year-old girl being held in solitary
confinement.

A report by Correctional Services of Canada, obtained by the Citizen,
recommends the federal government offer a full apology and a settlement
package to the women.

The federal government has yet to issue a formal response. A Corrections
spokesman has said the report -- which was completed Sept. 30, 1997 -- is
currently the subject of ``study.''

Mr. Ramsay said he did not want to put a dollar figure on the suffering
caused to ex-inmates. At least two women contacted by the report's
researchers said they still suffer from flashbacks and a recognized
psychiatric syndrome called Post-Hallucinogen Perceptual Disorder.

``Ask them (the victims) what they went through. Ask them what this did to
them. Ask them what they think. It has to come from them,'' Mr. Ramsay said.

``If there are negative consequences I would think they would have a basis
to claim damages. There's no question. But this would all have to be
established and proven.''

Although Reform is known for its tough law-and-order stance, Mr. Ramsay
said criminals forfeit some rights -- but not all -- when they are sent to
prison.

``They're there to serve a penalty to the state, to pay whatever price the
courts feel they should be paying for whatever they've done against
society,'' said Mr. Ramsay.

``It's sickening to me. Professional people should know better. You don't
go into a prison and say, `Here I am. I'm making an offer you can't
refuse.'''

In an academic paper, one of the researchers defended the experiments,
saying LSD held promise for treating drug addicts who were a drain on
society.

Mr. Ramsay said he doesn't buy that justification. He said he believes
researchers were simply using a vulnerable population to learn more about
the effects of what was then a relatively new drug.

The fact that LSD was legal at the time was also no excuse, he said.

``What happens if, today or tomorrow, some whizbang of a doctor sees a new
drug and has the same ideas? If we don't learn from history, we're doomed
to repeat it.''

Mr. Ramsay said the government should look into whether similar experiments
were conducted in other prisons or institutions.

``I think if there's these dark episodes it should be ferreted out so
there's no repeat of it,'' he said.

``We Should Know the Truth.''