Heroin use 'started in prison’ — inquiry

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 5

Heroin use 'started in prison’ — inquiry

PA Wellington; New Zealand prisons seemed to be getting more instances of drug abuse and of visitors smuggling drugs to prisoners, said the Secretary for Justice (Mr G. S. Orr>. Short of using X-rays, and, searching prison visitors, it was impossible for prison staff to prevent trafficking. : However, said .Mr Orr, ’ there was no evidence that Warren John Hastings, aged; 24. used heroin in prison, or, that he was addicted when i he left prison, as was alleged; in a psychiatrist's report in the Supreme Court at Wei-; lington. Mr Orr had been asked to] comment on a statement by! Mr Justice Quilliam, who said; he was disturbed by the psy-, chiatrist’s reference to the’ fact that Hastings became! a regular user of heroin! while in prison, and that, prison was the easiest place; to get any form of drugs. However, his Honour said; that one was used to hearing’ such extravagant statements! about people appearing for'

sentence. Allegations were| often made against the police or prison authorities, and one: hesitated to take them at! face value. He said though that a copy •of the report on Hastings would be sent to the Secre-i itary of Justice, so that pro-i per inquiries could be made.! He ordered that Hastings- — who pleaded guilty to im-i I porting drugs — be detained! in Porirua Hospital for treat-: intent for drug addiction, and also admitted him to proba-; jtion for two years. ! Mr Orr said yesteiday that! records showed that' Has-; ; tings’s last sentence wasj (served at a minimum-security! jprison, from which he was! (released in 1974. I Hastings told a probation; officer last year that he was ;introduced to LSD in prison,] 'and upon his release con-' Itinued to associate with drug; . users he had met in prison.] ; I This eventually led to drug] {addiction. !' “There is no evidence at 1 all that he used heroin in: :jprison, or that he was ad-] I dieted when he left prison,”'

|Mr Orr said. “Indeed, his; prospects appeared bright.” Mr Orr said there was 1 ample evidence of increasing I interest in drugs by the criminal population over recent years. The Commissioner of (Police had frequently drawn' attention to this. I “It is hardly’ surprising: ■then that our prisons are not holding a higher concentra-l jtion of people who know a lot about illicit drugs and: how to ge* them,” he said. ; “We also seem to be getking more instances of drug {abuse in prisons, and of (visitors smuggling drugs to (prisoners. In short, our prisons reflect what is happening in free society, and we {are now experiencing what Jias already become common- | place, and indeed a serious ] problem, overseas.”