A former prisoner infected with hepatitis C is suing the federal government over its refusal to allow clean-needle exchanges inside prisons.
Steven Simons, who served 12 years behind bars, has the backing of several HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations in a suit that names Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, the Correctional Service of Canada and its commissioner.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, argues the government has disregarded the health evidence on needle exchanges in prisons.
Toews quickly dismissed the lawsuit. "Our government has a zero tolerance policy for drugs in our institutions," he told the House of Commons.
Canada's prison population faces HIV rates 10 times the national average, and hepatitis C infections 30 times the national average.
