In many prisons, drug abuse is rife. There are no end of unconfirmed reports appearing in the press of ready access to a range of drugs in prisons, smuggled in no doubt by a variety of nefarious means by prison visitors, and perhaps by prison staff also.
Injectable drug use in prisons are a particular problem since worldwide, very few prison establishments would provide clean syringes and needles. These items then become particularly valuable items for drug delivery, and may be shared among a number of users as well as their later use for prison tattoos, and as weapons.
Disease transmission rates are high, and this no doubt contributes to the alarmingly high rates of bloodborne virus disease among prison populations, and the risks of sharps injury for prison staff.
A Connecticut man who went to the Taconic State Correctional Facility in the Town of Bedford to visit a prisoner at the medium security women’s prison on Sunday, was arrested for sneaking in a hypodermic needle.
Presumably, this is just one of many incidents, in one of many prisons. Perhaps the right thing to do is to provide clean needles for safe drug administration, to reduce the burden of disease and bring this particular problem into the open, where it can be managed more effectively?
see Prison needle exchange scheme?
see Removing needles from prisons