IPRT slams planned crackdown on drugs in prison

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has claimed that Justice Minister Michael McDowell will fail in his plan to make all Irish prisons completely drug-free.

The minister is reportedly planning to launch a crackdown on drugs in prison early next year involving mandatory drug-testing, counselling and treatment and other measures to eliminate drug use.

However, the Penal Reform Trust said international experience showed that his plan would not work.

It said mandatory testing, in particular, was a failed policy as it forced prisoners to find new ways of beating the system that could increase the risk of HIV and Hepatitis C infection.

The trust's executive director, Rick Lines, said: "What he's doing is putting forward a plan that sounds great in a sound-bite or a press release, but when actually implemented, may end up making the matter worse.

"What we've called on the minister to do is to actually look at the international evidence of good practice when it comes to dealing with issues of drug use and disease transmission in prison."