A new wastewater-testing program began at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in May 2025. Photos: James Coleman.
Recent testing of the wastewater, or sewage, at Canberra’s jail revealed elevated levels of illegal drugs.
The results came from a new wastewater-testing program introduced to help identify traces of drugs and illicit substances at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC).
The sample, taken in May 2025, showed elevated levels of amphetamines, methylamphetamine and EDDP, which is a metabolite of methadone.
“These findings align with urinalysis data from the same period, which indicated a high rate of newly admitted detainees entering custody under the influence of illicit substances,” an ACT Government spokesperson said.
The news was announced when ACT Corrective Services also discussed the difficulties that came from keeping contraband out of the facility.
There were more than 430 detainees in the AMC and many types of contraband had been seized when people tried to bring it inside, Corrective Services Commissioner Leanne Close told media on Friday (25 July).
“It comes into the AMC through visitors trying to bring things in. We’ve had things that are thrown over the fence, we’ve had drones occasionally that come over the AMC,” she said.
“Sometimes it’s illicit drugs, it’s other contraband such as phones. So a whole range of different items are attempted to be brought into the AMC.”
Visitors were the main group trying to bring contraband into the facility, Ms Close said, through bags or by hiding it on their bodies. But authorities also saw detainees try to hide items themselves as they came into the facility.
Asked about what challenges Corrective Services faced in keeping contraband out, Ms Close said drug addiction was difficult for people to overcome.
“So they are incentivised themselves to try and bring drugs in because of that addiction,” she said.
“We have a lot of visits to the AMC and we want to encourage that; we don’t want to go to a situation where we ban visits, for example. So it’s just managing that volume of people coming in.
“We have a lot of logistical issues where lots of materials are brought in and out of the AMC as it’s a 24/7 facility, it’s a really complex facility. We feed people, we fix rooms, we have a lot of maintenance, so it’s a lot of challenges in just dealing with that volume.”
ACT Correction Services Commissioner Leanne Close at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
The ACT Government said the new wastewater-testing program complemented existing drug and alcohol-testing strategies, which included checking incoming detainees as well as random and targeted testing during detention.
“By combining wastewater results with other testing methods, we can better understand patterns of drug use and respond more effectively,” Ms Close said.
“In line with our health-first approach to treating drug use, this newest form of testing provides valuable evidence to inform our approach and support detainees in managing substance use.”
Ms Close said the presence of methadone in the wastewater testing results was expected as it was one of the treatment options for detainees.
“So we’re going to see that over time as we continue to undertake the wastewater analysis,” she said.
She said the testing covered anyone who came into the AMC, not just detainees.
“We can’t identify individuals from the testing, but it’s certainly going to give us some long-term trends, which is another tool that we can use in how we do support detainees to become drug-free,” she said.
Minister for Corrections Dr Marisa Paterson said while these initial results from the wastewater testing were informative, more data was needed before drawing firm conclusions.
“Wastewater testing gives us another tool to understand what substances may be circulating in the AMC,” she said.
“We need ongoing monitoring and comparative data to fully understand the implications and to guide future action.”
The government spokesperson said the wastewater-testing program would continue as part of the AMC’s broader drug strategy, which included random and targeted testing, support services, and rehabilitation programs.
“Challenges in keeping correctional centres completely free of contraband, including drugs, are experienced universally across correctional facilities within Australia and beyond,” they said.
