Pubdate: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 Source: Canberra Times (Australia) Copyright: 2000 Canberra Times Contact: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/ Author: Bill Aldcroft Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1005/a11.html PRISON DRUGS ARE DEADLY WEAPONS Clive Blennerhassett really has no idea of what it would be like to work in a Correctional Centre where the Prisoners are encouraged to use intravenous drugs by handing out needles even in supervised drug injecting rooms. Not so long ago a custodial officer was stabbed by an inmate with an HIV infected needle. He subsequently died of AIDS. To hand over such a deadly weapon to some of our brain damaged junkies, would be completely irrational and I very much doubt that anyone would continue to work in a Prison system under such conditions. For anyone to advocate that prisoners be supplied with illegal drugs, provide rooms to illegally self administer, or to run a needle exchange that would encourage the smuggling of contraband drugs into the prison, under any pretext whatever, is laughable and unrealistic. It would also be political suicide for any rational politician to agree to such a proposal. BILL ALDCROFT, Dickson - --- MAP posted-by: Derek