Page 5105 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 27 October 2010
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younger offenders. The ability to reduce drug use at a younger age makes it less likely that we will have drug offenders at a later age.
This government, along with the Greens, are sending a signal to the prisoners of the Alexander Maconochie Centre that drug use is okay—in fact, let us support this with the use of a needle and syringe program.
New South Wales has been running jails since 1788 and, although there have been errors, there has been much learned along the way. The ACT has been operating prisons only since 2008—in fact, 2009, because the prison was not actually running for six months. But this government still think that they know better—that without any experience they can do a better job. But they do not even use the tools available to them, contained in the legislation that they introduced.
The Corrections Management Act 2007 provides the chief executive of the Alexander Maconochie Centre with the ability to undertake random and targeted drug tests on detainees by urinalysis. Currently, detainees are tested on admission to the prison, when they voluntarily submit to tests for rehabilitation purposes, and through targeted tests when corrections officers suspect that a detainee may be under the influence of drugs.
The act allows us to take these measures further. We would not be forced to introduce this policy as an amendment if the government could be trusted to implement the best practice policies. However, as we all know, the Alexander Maconochie Centre has been a litany of disasters—from extensive delays to cost blow-outs and security breaches. This government cannot be trusted to do what is in the best interests of detainees, corrections staff or the wider community in relation to the AMC.
Under the Corrections Management (Mandatory Urine Testing) Amendment Bill 2010, which I am tabling today, the chief executive of the Alexander Maconochie Centre is required to randomly select at least five per cent of the total number of detainees each month. These detainees are then subject to a drug test by urinalysis. The Corrections Management Act details the consequences if a detainee fails to provide a drug test or provides a positive drug test. Under the act, they would be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to the prisoner discipline policy and procedure.
There are multiple purposes to this amendment. Mandatory random drug testing identifies detainees who would benefit from rehabilitation; identifies detainees for punishment, which is line with the current laws; provides a deterrent against drug use; and provides information on the frequency and type of drug use. The implementation of a program like this increases the safety and security of the institutional environment.
Most importantly, mandatory random drug testing will reduce the incidence of drug taking at the Alexander Maconochie Centre. How do we know? Because this policy has been proven to work in the United Kingdom, Canada, the USA and New South Wales. Canada introduced random mandatory drug testing in their correctional facilities in 1993. The United Kingdom introduced the regime in 1996. Selective states of the United States of America introduced a testing regime from 1998. In New South Wales, the regime has been operational since 2000.
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