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Drug Testing Proposed For Calif. Inmates
Pubdate: Tue, 08 Apr 2014
Source: Signal, The (Santa Clarita, CA)
Page: A1
Copyright: 2014 The Signal
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/942n6o2y
Website: http://www.the-signal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4221
DRUG TESTING PROPOSED FOR CALIF. INMATES
Screening at State Prisons Finds 1 in 4 Inmates Used Drugs Last
Year
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Nearly a quarter of inmates tested in a screening
last year in California had used one or more illegal substances,
leading state prison officials to propose increasing penalties for
drug and alcohol use.
Under the recommendation, a first positive test for drug use would
cost inmates 90 days' pay from work assignments, and repeat offenses
could mean up to a year of lost wages.
However, inmates are paid only pennies an hour, prompting an official
with the guards' union to question the proposed regulations on Monday.
The department also plans to standardize mandatory drug testing across
prisons.
While making its proposal, the California Department of Corrections
and Rehabilitation said there were more than 4,000 drug-related prison
incidents last year. More stringent penalties for drug use would
increase prison safety and help inmates complete substance abuse
treatment programs, the agency said.
"We recognize a problem with the use of drugs in our population, and
the culture that it creates, and we must act to prevent the
introduction of narcotics while providing treatment to those who are
addicted," department spokeswoman Kristina Khokhobashvili said in an
email.
Nearly 23 percent of inmates tested positive for one or more illegal
drugs during the screening in June of a quarter of the inmate
population, the department said. The figure could be even higher since
about 30 percent of the selected inmates refused to be tested, even
though they were promised that no one would be punished for testing
positive.
More than half the positive tests involved marijuana, 20 percent
indicated morphine use; 14 percent methamphetamines; 11 percent
amphetamines; and 2 percent cocaine.
Separate statistics show 320 prison visitors and 10 employees were
arrested last year while trying to smuggle in drugs. Another 52 people
were arrested for trying to bring drugs on to prison grounds when they
had no reason to be there.
Illegal drugs in prison reinforces the strength of prison gangs, leads
to inmateon-inmate violence due to drug dependency, and increases the
possibility of inmate-on-staff attacks because drugs can reduce
inhibitions, the department said in urging the rule change.
The proposed regulations are set for a public hearing May 27 in
Sacramento. Final approval would come from the corrections department
itself after it considers public comment.
The rules would require that about 2.3 percent of inmates - or nearly
2,800 of the 121,000 inmates in state-run prisons and fire camps - be
randomly selected for periodic urinalysis tests about once a week.
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association supports the
drug screening, said Chuck Alexander, the union's vice president. But
he doubted that losing pennies an hour would make much of a difference
for inmates.
Depending on their work assignment, inmates are paid just 8 cents to
32 cents an hour, though a few making license plates at Folsom State
Prison are paid 95 cents an hour.
Smugglers have punted balls filled with drugs over prison fences and
sent in drugs in counterfeit legal mail or packages, among other
efforts, Alexander said.
"The inmates know who it belongs to and if they steal it or don't get
it to who it belongs to, they end up getting disciplined, if you know
what I mean," he said.
Once inside, drugs can sell for three-to five times what they would
bring on the street, he said.
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