KEEP DRUGS OUT OF PRISONS

It's tempting to write off the death of Kory Stewart Mountain as
nothing more than an unfortunate accident.

That's what the fatality inquiry into his Dec. 2, 2008, death at the
Drumheller Institution did. It recently concluded the 40-year-old's
overdose behind bars was accidental and that staff made no errors.

"The so-called war on drugs is, in my humble view, a war which cannot
be won," fatality inquiry Judge Les Grieve wrote in his report.
"Society does not seem committed to this battle, as can be seen by
sports heroes and other celebrity role models who use drugs, even
smuggle them, yet are still revered by the masses. It may be that all
we can hope for in this war is to keep the casualties to a minimum."

But given Mountain's death, and the death of other inmates, surely
it's a war that must be waged. In putting offenders behind bars, our
prison system must carry some measure of responsibility for their
safety and rehabilitation. Kevin Grabowsky, regional president of the
Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, said last fall that
Drumheller Institution is rife with drugs, with narcotics sometimes
shot over the fence using a bow and arrow or a slingshot.

"We've even had the drugs put in dead birds and the bird thrown over,"
said Grabowsky. "Tennis balls. Anything with a little weight."

Grieve is urging the federal government to continue to emphasize the
education of young aboriginal people and continue funding drug
addiction treatment programs. To that list, we'd add taking steps that
cleanse our prisons of drugs that all too often lead to death.