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