Again, I have to admit there are some challenges, absolutely, in terms of introducing a needle exchange program in federal corrections, so much so that my annual report says that right now the program is in name only; it involves so few inmates because Correctional Service Canada has made it so hard to participate in the program. Because of that, it actually causes more harm and risk to correctional officers. The few inmates who now have those kits are renting them to others or being bullied to get those needles—needles that are now clean, hopefully.
That's something you need to do a lot more work on: appeasing the culture of correctional officers, as well as the prisoners themselves, and demonstrating the validity and safety of it.
Absolutely, there are other programs. It's a half measure and not ideal. For example, the safe injection site pilot is showing a great deal of promise. It's still not being rolled out quickly enough, however. It's only in one penitentiary, at Drumheller. The union and correctional officers are more at ease with that program, but unfortunately it only works during the daytime, when health care is open and can supervise the safe injections.