Since 2019, eleven clients have been removed from "Kakaricka Gora" due to the introduction, or consumption, of psychoactive substances or alcohol.
Most of the abuse that resulted in the termination of their therapy contract occurred after returning from the weekend.
This, among other things, is shown by the data provided to "Vijesta" from the Podgorica JU "Kakaricka gora" upon request for free access to information (FII).
The request was sent after the mother of one client addressed the public, who, among other things, made several accusations about the work of the institution. Her son, as she stated, was placed in the institution about half a year ago, but his therapeutic contract was terminated due to abuse of psychoactive substances (PAS). At the same time and for the same reason, the contract was terminated with three other clients.
The mother, who addressed the public in a letter, stated, among other things, that "drugs are freely consumed" in the institution.
The Club of SD-LP Councilors in the Assembly of the Capital City then announced that they would seek the dismissal of the acting director of the institution. Marko Čađenović, as well as the entire Council.
"We received information that, despite the rules, narcotics are brought into the institution 'Kakaricka gora', and several users have been removed because of this," said the head of the Club of SD-LP Councilors. Miloš Maskovic on Thursday.
Speaking about the specific case, the director of the NGO "My chance is your chance" Tanja Nuculović she said that "it is unclear how the drug was introduced...".
Ju "Kakaricka gora" claim that they have controls and that the problem would be if they had kept quiet about the fact that the clients were positive.
“Then there would be a problem. We have solved the problem. How is that possible? They bring drugs into the prison, into the plane, past all the scanners," said Čađenović yesterday, as a guest in "Colors of the Morning" on TV Vijesti.
The last case is not the first
Termination of the therapeutic contract is foreseen by the Rulebook of JU "Kakaricka gora" and this measure is imposed for several reasons - due to theft, sex, aggressive behavior, arbitrary removal and due to introduction and/or consumption of PAS and/or alcohol.
Since the beginning of the year, according to the data provided to "Vijesta" yesterday by the "Kakaricka gora" Judiciary, a total of five clients have been removed due to the introduction or consumption of PAS or alcohol - in addition to the recent four, one more in June.
"At the beginning of June, the client returned from a weekend trip and tested positive for PAS. After the testing and search, the therapeutic contract with the client was terminated," the institution stated in its response to "Vijesta".
The case of four clients, which is being talked about in public these days, they added, happened on November 14. Ju "Kakaricka gora" said that during the regular search on November 9, all clients were tested, and it was determined that all clients were negative on the test.
"On Friday, one of the clients was granted a one-day outing to communicate with his family, lasting several hours. By monitoring the clients, a change in the behavior of several clients was determined, which caused us to immediately make a decision on another extraordinary testing and general search. On this occasion, no substance was found during the search, but the testing determined the presence of PAS in the urine of four clients", they told "Vijesta".
As they added, in accordance with standard procedures, they called the clients' families and informed them of the situation.
"The family members of three clients came in the same day in a few hours, and accompanied by them, the clients left the institution. The mother of one of the clients was not in Montenegro at the time of the call, which is why we made the decision that the client, isolated from the others, stays in the Institution for two more days, until the mother comes to pick him up. This kind of behavior also supports the fact that we always proceed from a position of non-judgment, understanding and support, so that even in this case there would be no more serious consequences", they said from "Kakaricka".
He also hid drugs in snack bags
In the response to the SPI that they submitted to the editorial office, they also described cases in which, due to the introduction and/or consumption of PAS and/or alcohol, their clients were removed from the institution for the past four years.
In 2022, the treatment contract with one client, who tested positive for PAS, was terminated.
"The client returned from a weekend outing, the PAS test was negative, the things were searched, but after a few hours a change in his behavior was noticed, after which the security guard on duty called the expert team and the administration, and then an emergency was organized testing and searching all clients. Only that client, who had changed behavior, was positive on the test, and he admitted that he brought the substance with him and took it immediately after entering the institution. After the testing and search, the therapeutic contract with the client was terminated", they state in the answer.
One contract due to the introduction or consumption of PAS and/or alcohol was also terminated in 2021.
"During 2021, the client came to the scheduled reception, his test for PAS was negative, but during the search of the belongings, a psychoactive substance was found in the bag of confectionery. After which the case was reported to the drug inspector, who ex officio conducted an investigation, confiscated the substance found and detained the person who tried to introduce the substance", said the Ju "Kakaricka gora".
During 2020, according to the submitted data, there were no terminations of contracts due to the introduction or consumption of PAS and/or alcohol, but the year before, for this reason, contracts were terminated for four clients.
"During regular testing when returning from the weekend, it was determined that one client tested positive for PAS, and on that occasion the therapy contract was terminated. Also, in the same year, during an extraordinary search, several tablets (benzodiazepines) were found in the possession of a client, and the client's therapeutic contract was terminated," said the "Kakaricka gora" JU.
In the other two cases, as they added, an attempt to bring creatine (in powder form) into the Institution was found during the search of the clients upon their return from the weekend.
"Which is also illegal. These two clients are directly excluded from the treatment", they told "Vijesta".
In five years of all testing, less than five percent are positive
According to the data they provided to the editorial office, a total of 2019 tests - regular and extraordinary - were performed in the "Kakaricka gora" PU since 2.985. Of these, 121 tests were positive.
As they clarified, regular testing refers to testing when receiving clients, returning from a weekend outing or returning from a one-day outing accompanied by a trusted person, as well as testing non-residents upon arrival at the facility. The positive tests shown in the overall statistics, they added, also refer to persons who were candidates for admission, but their admission was not realized, because the test was positive for the presence of PAS.
There are currently 19 clients and three female clients in residential treatment, and 15 male and three female clients in the non-residential part of the JU "Kakaricka gora" in Podgorica.
The price of treatment in the institution for both Montenegrin citizens and foreigners is 1.000 euros. For Montenegrin citizens, the client's family participates with 230 euros, while the rest is financed by the capital Podgorica and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
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