Inmates take Ottawa to court over lack of clean needles

Prison inmates are suing the federal government for not providing them with clean needles. Advocacy groups are arguing it violates their right to health care, and also makes the health care problem worse.

Cities across the country have had needle-exchange programs, arguing it’s better to provide clean needles to those who shoot up. The government has argued that giving needles to prisons is useless since injecting is already forbidden.

In court papers filed Tuesday, there are allegations that not having sterile needles violates inmate Charter rights.