Pubdate: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2005 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Author: Betsy Powell Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.) DON JAIL WORKERS TEMPTED TO SMUGGLE DRUGS BY HIGH PRICES AND DEMAND, MANAGER SAYS A former guard at the Toronto (Don) Jail who was sentenced last week for smuggling drugs to inmates is one of five employees caught bringing in contraband since 2000, according to a statement entered into evidence. The statement by Jim Aspiotis, the jail's security manager, provides an overview of the prevalence of contraband -- "including but not limited to weapons and controlled substances" -- at the jail. In an average month, corrections officers seize about 10 items of "serious" contraband from inmates, Aspiotis wrote in a three-page document submitted to the Ontario Court of Justice. In addition, there is a reported assault every other day at the jail, many involving weapons that are both "commercially" and inmate-produced. Narcotics in the institution are also "fairly accessible to most inmates," but at black market prices because of the high demand and limited supply, he wrote. "Through discussions with inmates and interception of written communications, I know that the price of narcotics in the Don jail is, on average, at least 10 times the price on the street." That makes it "very tempting" for employees to smuggle in drugs, he concluded, noting that five employees had been caught since 2000. A preliminary hearing for another jail guard is set to start later this year. "It is very difficult to interdict smuggling by employees. They occupy positions of trust and therefore are not subject to search of their person and of their bags as they enter the institution," Aspiotis wrote. "Moreover the direct daily contact between inmates and employees gives inmates the opportunity to recruit staff members to smuggle. ... Once this process begins it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the staff members to cease these activities as the inmates who they are supplying will threaten to report their actions." The statement doesn't mention it, but lawyers have also been caught for smuggling drugs into the jail. On Friday, Justice Peter Harris convicted Andrew Bell, 39, who worked at the Don for 15 years, for breach of trust by a public official, and sentenced him to three years in jail less presentence custody, and one year of probation. The sentence covers convictions in August on four counts of possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of possession of cocaine and hash for the purpose of trafficking. Bell was also found guilty of two counts of possession of a weapon. Bell was arrested in February after a drug-sniffing dog discovered two straight razors, 286 grams of marijuana, 112 grams of hashish and 3.23 grams of crack cocaine in a locker at the jail. "Andrew Bell is a tragic figure who has ruined his career, his standing in his community, and in many ways, his future," Harris wrote in his judgment. "Given his age, clean record and positive employment history, I cannot at this juncture entirely lose sight of the principle of rehabilitation. I must not impose a sentence that would be crushing and cause Mr. Bell to lose hope for his future." Harris calculated the presentence custody as 16 months. That means Bell will serve another 20 months, federal Crown Attorney Jason Wakely said. Wakely was looking for a penitentiary sentence in the four-to five-year range. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom