Treats for prisoners who volunteer for drug tests

Prisoners who volunteer to be tested for illicit drugs while in jail are to be given enhanced meals and other benefits under …

Prisoners who volunteer to be tested for illicit drugs while in jail are to be given enhanced meals and other benefits under an aggressive new Government policy to rid Irish jails of drugs, it has emerged. Under the new drug-free regime, up to 10 per cent of all inmates will be randomly tested for drug use each year.

Sniffer dogs will also be used to search inmates and visitors in a bid to control the supply of drugs entering the prison system. Staff must also agree to be searched if requested. If drugs are found in any case gardaí will be called.

The new measures are likely to prompt criticism from civil liberties groups and prison officers. The Prison Officers' Association, which opened its annual conference in Killarney, Co Kerry, last night, will respond to the new policy today.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said the "enhanced diet" proposals would include measures such as orange juice at breakfast, sandwiches rather than scones during light meals, and additional snacks such as doughnuts.

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Under the prison service's keeping drugs out of prisons policy all parcels and correspondence addressed to inmates will be searched for drugs. Visits to inmates by family and friends, which have been one of the main sources of drugs entering the system, are to be strictly controlled.

Facilities for screened visits, where inmates and visitors are separated by glass, are to be installed in all jails. Unlike the current visiting regime, physical contact will only be permitted when approved by a prison governor. CCTV cameras are to be installed in visiting areas.

All inmates will be required to nominate a list of visitors. This measure is aimed at eliminating the widespread practice of visitors giving false names in order to pass over drugs during visits.

The policy document published last night follows repeated announcements in recent years by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell that a new drug-free regime would be implemented. Under the new system random searches after visits will also be carried out on inmates who do not have a drug habit in an effort to end the practice of these inmates coming under pressure from other prisoners to smuggle drugs in.

All of the measures will be implemented by the end of next year. Random and voluntary testing will be in place by the end of this year.

Inmates who test positive will face a variety of sanctions, the imposition of which will be at the discretion of the governors. These include loss of visits or other benefits up to loss of remission in the cases of serious or repeat offenders.

Those inmates volunteering for testing will be given extra benefits.