Pubdate: Sat, 03 Sep 2016 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2016 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor Website: http://torontosun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457 Author: John Beaudette Page: 14 Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor. DRUG CRACKDOWN Re "Action needed to deal with drugs in jails: Critics" (Kevin Connor, Aug. 19): The inability of government and correctional agencies to eliminate this problem is baffling. If we can't control the drug trafficking within the walls of our jails, how can we control drugs on the outside? Not to oversimplify the issue, but it would appear that the sources of drugs coming into these facilities are limited. We track "who and what" comes and goes. The likely sources of drugs would be: 1) new prisoners 2) visitors 3) guards and prison management 4) outside vendors - cleaning, maintenance, food etc, 5) lawyers 6) parachuting over walls 7) mail. All of these access points can be closely monitored. Like speeding in a construction zone, bringing drugs into prisons should automatically bring stricter penalties. Loss of jobs, fines, prison time, loss of licensing, etc. Tools for searching persons, packages and literally anything that comes into/out of these facilities should be expanded.! Mandatory drug testing should be the norm. Sniffer dogs could be utilized as required. We do this now in our airports and to our athletes. Why not our jails? Why do we want to release "addicts" back into society, knowing they need a drug fix before the day is out and likely having no legal way of getting one? There should be no expectation of privacy/entitlement in jails/prisons. Controlling prison drugs would make it safer for all. John Beaudette Picton - -------------------------------------------- (You would think a closed society such as a jail or prison - as opposed to, for example, an airport - would be a place authorities could stop drug importation and use. Apparently not) - --- MAP posted-by: Matt