A month ago, the drug death of a 23-year-old in Graz-Jakomini prison caused shock. Now the prisoners unpack opposite the “Krone”. The drug and drug trade behind bars is thriving: “You can get everything you need here…”
It’s been almost a month since 23-year-old Lukas died of an overdose in his Graz-Jakomini prison cell (we reported). The young man’s death is not only an incredibly heavy blow to his relatives, but the inmates who met Lukas in prison were also deeply affected.
For example, the “Krone” received a multi-page letter from prison in which an inmate doubts that Lukas died from conventional drugs: “Lukas would rather die from an overdose of pills distributed by the prison. […] Like many inmates, he hoarded his daily medication and was given more pills while he was in the yard,” the letter reads.
“I said take care of yourself!”
Peter (changed name), who was released a few days before Lukas’s death and met the “Krone” for an interview, suspects something similar: “They completely underestimated the stuff. I said before I left, ‘Luki, beware. on yourself, don’t take too much of that!'”
Peter talks about Lyrica, a drug that is used, for example, for withdrawal symptoms associated with opiate addiction or anxiety disorders. Overdose can lead to respiratory arrest. The drug is currently very popular among inmates, being hoarded, brought in from outside and bartered or sold when they go out into the yard.
Toxicology report is still pending
It is unclear what exactly killed Luke. According to the Klagenfurt prosecutor’s office – it is customary for such files to be handled in other Länder for reasons of bias – the result of the toxicological report is still pending. Manfred Ulrich, spokesman for the Jakomini correctional institution, is skeptical about the inmates’ assumptions: “Psychotropic drugs are handed out from person to person, with mouth checks. The large-scale hoarding here is rather unbelievable.”
More problematic is that the “substance” is transferred during releases or visits. “We check really rigorously, but unfortunately not every hole is visible.”
Spazierhof is a major drug hub
Former inmate Peter paints a different picture: “When you first enter the courtyard as a newcomer, you are immediately asked which pills the doctor gives you.” Control in the garden 150 tablets including price list (! ) have been removed. A lucky find, as it is practically impossible to visit each of the more than 60 inmates during the one-hour walk in the yard.
“There are too few civil servants, they cannot see everything,” says Peter from his own experience. For example, it is common to hide and pass pills in cigarettes. But the farm is not the only way: “Via open visits, the garden center or the laundry – if you need something, you get something.”
Due to constant mental stress, excesses of violence, poor prison conditions and a booming drug trade, “tablets are becoming your best friend,” according to the prison’s letter. And further: “All you want is to stop feeling and thinking. Now Luke is dead – and this judiciary is calling the criminal justice system rehabilitation.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
