Drugs in prison 'almost impossible to eliminate'

Random drug tests conducted in prison last year showed that 43 per cent of the 40 inmates approached either refused to take the test or proved positive.

The figure went down to 28 per cent in another test taken late last year, the director of prisons, Sandro Gatt, said yesterday.

In spite of controls, he insisted, it was virtually impossible to eliminate drugs from prison.

"The fact that a sachet in prison sells for four times the street value shows that drugs in prison are not as common as many perceive them to be," he said.

Prisoners who test positive or who refuse to take the test forfeit part of their remission and would thus have to spend a longer time behind bars, Mr Gatt added.

According to local case law, once action is taken against someone in prison, and a prisoner loses part of his remission, he cannot be charged in court because he would end up being punished twice for the same offence.

Mr Gatt's views were sought following evidence in court given by Joseph Fenech on Wednesday.

Mr Fenech claimed there was an intolerable amount of drugs in the division he was in. He was testifying in a case against five prisoners who stand charged with assaulting him in prison on January 11.

Contacted and asked whether he felt an inquiry should be held, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said controls were in place in prison but these were obviously not perfect as prisoners have contact visits and can go on prison leave.

"Prison authorities conduct searches and take other measures, but nothing is 100 per cent foolproof," Dr Borg said.

On his part, Mr Gatt said the division in which Mr Fenech was kept was the one where inmates with drug-related cases were placed, the only exception being Mr Fenech.

"He was an aware inmate who spoke about it. Most simply don't. After he was attacked, action was taken and the prisoners involved were moved to another division. Searches were conducted and no drugs were found. But some items which violated prison regulations were located," Mr Gatt said.

Mr Gatt said searches for drugs in prison were carried out as a matter of routine but random spot checks were held too.

"We conduct body searches, we have an X-ray machine, we have sniffer dogs and every car that enters the prison grounds, including mine, is checked.

"Even the Gozo Bishop's car was checked when he visited last January. The Chief Justice was treated the same way when he paid a surprise visit recently. This was not done out of disrespect but because procedures are followed for one and all," Mr Gatt said.

He said one had to appreciate that when one was conducting searches for drugs in prison, one was looking for very small consumables.

"When we find a sachet it would contain about 0.05 grammes of heroin. We are speaking about very small amounts. Yet, sometimes we do find drugs. We found three sachets on prisoners this year and another sachet in the chapel. We could not determine whom the latter belonged to. A magisterial inquiry was held in each case.

"Three visitors and three prisoners have been found in possession of drugs over the past two months. We also found drugs in food brought in for prisoners while one visitor was twice caught with drugs hidden in parts of her body. Action is always taken in these cases," he said.

Last year, 30 inquiries were held following drug finds in prison. In one case, a prison warden was imprisoned after he was found in possession of eight grammes of heroin.