Page 1409 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2011
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drug and alcohol sector. I want to be able to engage with those sectors so that I can continue to represent them as the Greens have done since the AMC was first planned, for their expertise has proved to be powerful and has led to us being able to advocate for what is best practice.
The information that I can legitimately call on when discussing the proposal to have a needle and syringe program in the prison is based on the discussion paper and summary of consultations that I produced last year. These papers were focused on international evidence and consultation with community groups and health experts.
The key issues through the international experience were that drugs do get into prisons no matter how much supply reduction and searching of visitors is conducted. We know that as a point of reference for human rights inmates should be able to access the same level of health services as is provided in the community. Health professionals recognise prisons as incubators of blood-borne viruses which then go on to affect the community if not properly contained and addressed. Prisoners in the AMC are sharing needles, and dirty, likely infected, needles.
Workers have the right to a safe working environment, and all the evidence—and this is all the evidence from overseas—shows that the introduction of a needle and syringe program increases workers’ safety, especially from accidental needle stick injuries as a result of cell searches. It should also be noted that there have been no instances of needles being used as weapons in prisons with NS programs. In fact, the only instances where they have been used as a weapon were in prisons without NS programs.
The introduction of needle and syringe programs leads to more engagement by users with health treatments, and eventually withdrawal programs, and an overall higher uptake of drug treatment programs.
Evidence from programs overseas has shown that, once they have seen and experienced these programs in operation, prison wardens and guards have become some of the strongest advocates for NSPs in prisons. We also know that a long list of bodies representing health professionals and many eminent Australians, including a past Liberal health minister, have come out in favour of the NSP.
As a result of our research, the Greens came to the recommendation that a needle and syringe program should be trialled through the AMC’s health centre, to ensure it is integrated with primary health care while ameliorating concerns raised by the CPSU. This is not the ideal way to run a program, as experience shows that it is best done through direct one-on-one exchange such as a vending machine. However, we recognise the concerns of organisations such as the CPSU, and this could be a way of addressing their concerns while implementing a program that has overwhelming support from health staff.
It is worth noting that the leaked Burnet report at the end of the day recommends that an NSP be implemented. The Hamburger report supports an NSP and notes the evidence that is available from overseas. It states, as the Greens have already, that before a program is implemented it needs to be applicable to the AMC setting and needs the support of all those who would be involved in its implementation.
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