"The evidence we heard pointed to a clear link between socio-economic deprivation and certain types of crime. That is neither to condone criminal or antisocial acts nor to deny the element of personal responsibility which we all bear for our actions. What is undeniable, however, is that the socio-economic conditions of a given community are one factor which can encourage offending behaviour and that those conditions are the proper responsibility of society as a whole, not of the offending member."
National Crime Forum (1998)

Drugs

| The extent of the problem | Treatment | Alcohol | Punishment and Welfare | Paul's story |

The Garda statistics for 1997 show that 8,000 persons were prosecuted for drug offences, mostly possession or supply of cannabis. Proceedings involving hard drugs were virtually unheard of outside Dublin. Indeed 99 per cent of heroin offences were recorded in the capital where it is estimated that there are 13,000 hard drug users.

In addition to offences associated with the drug trade, there is a great deal of drug related crime, most of which is against property. A recent survey by the Garda Research Unit revealed that 43 per cent of those apprehended in Dublin were known hard drug users and they were responsible for 66 per cent of all detected crime in the area.

The relationship between drug use and crime is shown starkly in studies of the population of Mountjoy prison, where almost two thirds of the men and women have histories of heroin misuse. Most were chronic users before their incarceration and funded their addiction through the proceeds of criminal activity.

Drug use does not stop inside prison. In his profile of Mountjoy prisoners, Dr. Paul O'Mahony found that almost half had used heroin during their current sentence. Most took the drug intravenously, often sharing their needles with other prisoners. As sterile injecting equipment is not available in prisons, inmates are exposed to serious health risks such as hepatitis or HIV infection. Drug use introduces dangers for prison staff who fear being victims of syringe attacks or being pricked by a needle while searching a cell. As one ex-prisoner puts it: "Heroin started to take a grip in prisons in the early 1990s. Today it's all over the place and I believe that it's allowed to happen because it keeps a lid on things. It has become the norm if someone is injecting that the screws [prison officers] let them finish then take the works from them. People inject openly."

Drug use has a dramatic impact on prisoners' health. Needle sharing spreads deadly diseases like hepatitis and HIV. The most shocking statistic is the number of drug deaths in custody. Between 1990 and 1997, a dozen prisoners died as a result of overdoses. Some years there were more deaths through overdose than suicide. "It's like genocide. Letting people die. If this was happening in Eastern Europe the Americans would want to go in and everyone would be egging them on. There is no action because there are so many other social problems which are not self-inflicted. People don't care about addicts because they are doing this to themselves."

There is an urgent need to address the problem of heroin use in Mountjoy prison. This should involve reducing the flow of drugs into the establishment as well as tackling the high demand for drugs that exists among prisoners. The National Crime Forum was clear what was required: "...treatment programmes of the highest standard be provided for all who need them within the prison/detention system and that there be sufficient incentives in the regime to encourage participation."

— Treatment

The existing level of treatment is woefully inadequate. All it amounts to is an eight week drug detoxification and rehabilitation programme that was started in the medical unit of Mountjoy prison in 1996. A study carried out by the doctor in charge revealed that men accepted onto the programme had the following characteristics:

• All used heroin (90% intravenously)
• All shared needles while in prison
• All had received previous drug treatment
• The average age when drugs were first used was 14 years
• The average age when intravenous use began was 18 years

It should be a priority for every prison governor to create a drug-free environment within his institution. To achieve this will involve filling prisoners' days with purposeful activity and making available a wide range of psychological, educational and medical services. The provision of aftercare is key. Each prisoner should have a personalised sentence plan which addresses their resettlement needs in terms of accommodation, employment and rehabilitation. It is crucial that treatment is co-ordinated between prison and the outside community so that gains made during a period of confinement are sustained afterwards.

The drug problem in Mountjoy is so acute that it requires special measures. One option is the creation of a therapeutic community within the establishment so that prisoners who want to develop a drug free lifestyle can be given the necessary support. "They should have methadone maintenance programmes in prison like they do in the community. They should accept that they can't eradicate drug use in prison and make clean needles available. But this won't happen because it would be an acknowledgement of the problem".

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