It’s the ambition of many a user to become a drugs worker. And there is now no shortage of examples of people who have successfully quit their addictions and gone to work in the drugs field. Arrest referral schemes are full of former junkies. There are quite a number of ex-addicts working in the treatment field. The creation of prison drug services, or CARATs (Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare services) a couple of years ago has also provided ex-addicts with job opportunities. But the Prison Service has now decided that being soft on ex-junkies can only be taken so far. Prison Service Order No 3625 which came out in June sets out the conditions under which ex-addicts can be prison drug workers. Including the requirement that where they are working in high security prisons they submit to random drug testing. A requirement that does not apply to any other service working in such prisons, for example Education or Probation, nor any employees of the Prison service.

 
   

The Order begins with the reluctant admission that "Some very effective drug workers in the community are ex-addicts and they may also have convictions for drug related offenses. Experience has shown that their histories often enable them to influence, achieve credibility and build a rapport with an often difficult group of prisoners." Wow! A compliment from the Prison service. But, wait for it. The first purpose of the order is to set out the criteria for allowing ex-addicts employed by external drug services to work in prisons. Why? Because at a time "when such workers are in short supply, those of proven ability will be excluded only when security requirements cannot be set aside." What would happen, we wonder, if there weren’t a labour shortage in the drugs field? How many ex-addicts would be working then? Nevertheless, the criteria themselves are not completely unreasonable, even those for the High Security (‘Cat A’) nicks. Although we would take issue with some of the specific criteria for high security work, such as not having received any custodial sentence, being convicted of intent to supply or cultivation. The chances of finding a long term street user who hasn’t had a bit of bird is a bit like finding a virgin at a clap clinic. And you’d have to be pretty stupid to prevent a good worker from entering a nick because he once grew a pot plant or was once a user-dealer.

But this isn’t what’s bugging us. More fool the Prison Service if it excludes good workers. No what sticks in our throats is the second part of the order about testing of drug workers in the high security estate. It’s clear from reading the document that although it talks about ‘drug workers’, they really mean ‘ex-addict drug workers’. And the criteria for testing are where "there are particular circumstances or concerns about his or her conduct." Such as being an ex-junkie for instance? Now we utterly oppose the expansion of piss testing, as readers will be aware. To us it’s the modern equivalent of mediaeval witchfinding. However, if there is to be piss testing of workers in prison then it should apply to all groups of employees. Not simply ex-users. Of course, that is a possibility. As the Order admits, drug testing of Prison service staff may be introduced at some future date. But at the moment it’s just ex-junkies who have to be watched. We suggest that an appropriate response to this discrimination would be for ex-addicts CARATs workers in ‘Cat A’ Prisons to vote with their feet. There’s going to be a big expansion of jobs in community based treatment and a shortage of people to fill them over the next two to three years. So get reading the job adverts and when you hand your notice in tell them it’s your response to their discrimination. Not that it will bother them. There are plenty of drug workers around. Aren’t there? Surely there must be someone... ... ?

(ex) Convict 99