[jambutty]

There are two points to consider in this issue:
Whether a prisoner with a drug habit should be forced to go ‘cold turkey’. - NO!
Whether a prisoner forced to undergo ‘cold turkey’ should be compensated for doing so. - YES!

Let me state at the outset that I am 100% in favour of prison sentences being harsh enough to deter all but the most hardened criminal from doing a second spell and preferably them as well. But that prison sentence has to be HUMANE. Denying the prisoners lengthy recreational periods is not INHUMANE nor is hard labour unless it is accompanied by beatings and denial of rest periods and food and drink.

I am also 100% behind a prisoner losing all human rights except those that ensure HUMANE treatment.

The reason for the imprisonment is not the issue. The issue is DRUG ADDICITON whilst in prison.

Prison is to punish and rehabilitate a criminal and not to exact vengeance, although reading many of the replies in this thread, vengeance is in the writers’ heart.

Forcing a prisoner to go ‘cold turkey’ is not a HUMANE act. In fact it borders on sadistic barbarism.

If a criminal enters prison already suffering from a medical condition that prisoner will continue to be medically treated as they were outside. Whether the medical condition is self-inflicted or not is not the issue. Drug addiction is a medical condition. Thus a drug addict awarded a prison sentence should receive treatment for the addiction whilst in prison.

Furthermore, the Governor of the prison that allowed this ‘cold turkey’ procedure to take place, should be brought to account.

Some contributors to this thread have brought into focus, alcoholics and smokers. Alcoholics or smokers are not in the same league as Heroin/Cocaine etc addicts and few commit crimes to fund their habit. In any case prisoners can earn money in prison to enable them to buy tobacco although the same cannot be said for alcohol. However I understand that an alcoholic will get treatment for their condition whilst in prison.

As to the question of compensation:
A prisoner forced to go ‘cold turkey’ is entitled to be compensated because his/her HUMANE rights have been violated.

The amount of compensation is open to debate but I think that the government chickened out in settling out of court with £750,000. They should have offered each ‘cold turkey’ victim £500 and if that was not accepted let the case go to court and let the judicial system decide.

Time to don the steel helmet, flack jacket and climb into an armoured car.