Pubdate: Thu, 01 Mar 2007 Source: Lethbridge Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 2007 The Lethbridge Herald Contact: http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/239 Author: Norm LeBus DRUG-SNIFFING DOG TO HELP ROOT OUT DRUG ABUSE IN ALBERTA JAILS Pilot project designed to help control problem at province's eight correctional facilities All stakeholders agree a drug-detecting dog will help officials mitigate substance abuse in Alberta's correctional facilities. But not all agree on the scale of drug abuse in jails. "I want to stress that we do not have a large problem with drugs being smuggled into our correctional centres, Solicitor General Ministry spokesman Jill McCormick said Wednesday. The ministry on Wednesday unveiled a one-year, $80,000 pilot project for a Labrador retriever and handler to circulate among Alberta's eight correctional facilities sniffing out drug use among the province's roughly 2,600 inmates. "It is a lot of facilities for one dog to cover," McCormick conceded. If successful, the ministry could hire a second dog and handler in a year. Eight people have died from drug overdoses in jails since 1981, the ministry's statistics indicate. Locally, Southern Alcare Manor (SAM) and Parkside Homes both house addicts who are transitioning from prison to outside life. The facility has up to six beds in its 25-bed facility for inmate use, SAM executive director Ron Fromm explained. "There's definitely a (drug) problem in the prisons, no question about that," Fromm says. "Drugs are smuggled into prison all the time in various ways." As Alberta Union of Public Employees' Lethbridge union representative, Dale Perry deals directly with front-line workers in Alberta's prisons. Perry estimates 65 to 70 per cent of problems jail guards deal with are drug related. "Whether that be gang activity within the facility over the administration of the drug or problems caused by people on them . . . you have both sides of that. You have the occasional beating when the guy hasn't paid his debts," Perry said. Corrections officials have been contracting out drug-sniffing dogs in Alberta facilities for three years, McCormick said. Upon admission, inmates are searched for drugs and provide urine samples. In addition, one per cent of a facility's population is randomly selected each week for drug testing, while inmates suspected of using can be targeted any time. Inmates busted with drugs can lose time off their sentences which had been earned for good behaviour. During 77 inmate searches of jail inmates last year, only "a small amount" of narcotics was uncovered, McCormick said. In Lethbridge, one inmate died of a drug overdose in April 2005. Jeffery Allen Arishenkoff, 26, is facing manslaughter charges for allegedly providing methadone to Dennis Karey, who died suddenly in his cell April 30, 2005. "No screening process has proven 100 per cent effective, but this is another tool in our drug strategy to make sure that our centres are as drug-free as possible," McCormick said. The Labrador named Chaz and correctional officer Shaun McCoy completed six weeks of training with Calgary Police Service. The dog is trained to detect 10 scents including marijuana, crystal meth, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy. Based out of Fort Saskatchewan, Chaz and McCoy will make random visits to correctional facilities and roam cells, common areas and preside over some inmate admissions, McCormick indicated. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine