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Victorian Prison Drug Strategy 2002

The Victorian Prison Drug Strategy (VPDS), which was introduced into all Victorian prisons in March 2002, has four goals:

• Supply Control Goal - to strengthen efforts to keep drugs out of Victoria’s prisons
  
• Detection and Deterrence Goal - to detect and deter drug use and drug trafficking within prisons
  
• Treatment Goal - to provide effective treatment opportunities that assist prisoners to establish healthy, crime-free lives
  
• Health and Safety Goal - to reduce health and safety risks to prison staff, prisoners and the community resulting from drug use.
  

The strategy adopts a balanced approach that focuses not only on stopping drugs entering prisons and reducing the demand for drugs in prison, but also on reducing the harms associated with the problematic use of drugs and/or alcohol, particularly the risk of overdose and the transmission of blood-borne viruses.

Major initiatives of the VPDS include:

• additional Passive Alert Detection (PAD) dogs
  
• use of Ion Scanner device to detect drugs on visitors
  
• additional breathalysers introduced
  
• prison barrier control activities, including posters in visitor areas
  
• urine drug testing program
  
• Drug-Free Incentive Program for identified drug users
  
• hierarchy of management measures for use of different drugs
  
• drug treatment linked with post-release services
  
• increase in places for methadone and/or buprenorphine (Opioid Substitution Therapy Program) (OSTP)
  
• prison staff better informed about drugs and prison drug activities.

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Author:	Department of Justice - Corrections Victoria
Place of Publication:	Melbourne
Publisher:	Department of Justice - Corrections Victoria
Date of Publication:	2002
Number of Pages:	Full Report - 44 Summary report - 4 Identified Full Report - 72 Identied Summary Report - 4
Copyright:	State of Victoria, 2002.