Drug, alcohol seizures surges in Victorian prisons since COVID-19
Fears have been raised about prisoners not being able to turn their life around after it was revealed contraband seizures including drugs and booze have surged in prisons — despite a ban on prison visits since March.
Police & Courts
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Contraband seizures including drugs and booze have surged in prisons since the COVID-19 crisis began.
The latest Drugs in Victorian Prisons Report shows more than 1400 doses of buprenorphine — a drug used to replace heroin and methadone — were intercepted from March to July, up 14 per cent on the same period last year.
Prison staff also seized 453 litres of alcohol or home brew compared with 300 litres last year.
There was also a 59 per cent increase in the number of needles and syringes found.
A total of 289 syringes and needles — over 100 more than last year — were seized by prison authorities over the five-month period.
The surge in contraband seizures comes despite a ban on prison visits since March.
Before the pandemic, visitors were routinely caught trying to smuggle contraband into prisons.
There has also been a drop in inmate numbers, with 8.9 per cent fewer on average.
“If Daniel Andrews can’t even keep drugs and contraband out of our prisons during lockdown, then it’s little wonder Labor is operating the most expensive, yet worst performing corrections system in the nation,” Opposition corrections spokesman David Southwick said.
“Victoria has become the drug capital of the nation and with more and more drugs on the street and in our prisons, what chance do inmates have of turning their lives around and getting on the right path?”
However a Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesman said most items were not making it into prisoners’ hands.
“The majority of drug seizures are from mail and are therefore intercepted before they reach prisoners,” he said.
“Our new drone detection program is also stopping drugs and other contraband from getting into the hands of prisoners.”
Buprenorphine comes in the form of a small wafer strip and can be easily smuggled into prisons in letters or drawings.
New laws were introduced into the Victorian parliament this month to stop inmates receiving hard copies of their mail.
Prison staff will instead take photocopies of incoming mail and give inmates copies, not originals, under the radical plan to stop drug smuggling into prisons.
The DJCS said there had been no recent cases of staff smuggling contraband into prisons.
Those who do traffic or attempt to traffic drugs or contraband into prison face harsh penalties including up to two years in jail.
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