Drug workers have warned of "long ranging repercussions" if a prison needle exchange does not go ahead at Canberra's prison.
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The drug support organisation has offered to help establish and manage a needle and syringe program in the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
The ACT Government announced in August 2012 it intended to introduce the program to prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases within the prison. The government had originally intended to launch the program last year.
But a start date remains unclear as the government attempts to broker a deal with the prison guards' union, who strongly oppose the plan.
In a pre-budget submission to the ACT government, Directions ACT which already provides programs to inmates and support post-release, said a needle and syringe program would pay for itself. It said the program would be a ''socially responsible intervention'' that would meet an obvious need.
The submission warned that if the issue went unaddressed, there would be long ranging repercussions for individuals, their families, and the broader community.
Directions chief executive officer Fiona Trevelyan warned there would also be significant health care costs for the ACT Government.
''The cost of not getting one in there is that people are going to continue to use their own manufactured equipment and share equipment, so it's infections and ongoing health costs,'' she said.
Mrs Trevelyan said it was a ''logical extension'' for Directions to plan, establish and manage the prison-based needle exchange, saying the organisation already runs needle and syringe programs in the community, and other programs in the AMC.
''It's our core business, it's what we do well,'' she said.
The proposed needle exchange has been mired in delays, with the Community and Public Sector Union and the ACT Government stuck in deadlock over the issue.
Mrs Trevelyan said it would be fantastic to have the program operating, but she understood the delay.
''I absolutely understand there's certain processes that need to be followed, and we need to do things right,'' she said.
The submission said there was a wealth of evidence that supported the prison-based needle exchange.
