Prisoners have been caught dissolving nicotine patches in hot water before mixing the drug with tea leaves or coffee granules. They then take this mixture and roll it in pages of the bible, according to prison governor, and head of Jersey’s Prison Service, Nick Cameron.
Staff also say that some inmates have been using wires underneath their kettles to light their homemade cigarettes.
But Mr Cameron said that despite some predicted issues in introducing the ban, it had been a success. Previously prisoners were allowed to smoke in their own cells or in the prison courtyard, but a total ban was introduced 12 months ago.
‘We want to improve the health of prisoners and ultimately [the health of] their family and children when they are released. There’s also a financial benefit for prisoners, as cigarettes are very expensive and, when they’re outside, they can spend the money on other things that might benefit their health.
‘For staff it’s better too, as they were being exposed to passive smoking. There’s a personal element for me too, as I lost my father to lung cancer. Seeing him die in hospice was very difficult.’
The prison prepared for its smoking ban in January last year by offering sessions to help prisoners to quit. Prison healthcare teams have run stop-smoking sessions and, a month before the ban was introduced, it was said that nearly half of inmates who had taken part had quit.
Prisoners who do not want to quit completely can still buy e-cigarettes. New prisoners entering La Moye – between 200 and 250 a year – can access the Help 2 Quit service’s weekly clinic. According to the Island’s latest Tobacco Strategy, around four-fifths of new inmates are smokers.
The Tobacco Strategy also recognises that smoking is a leading cause of preventable death and disease in Jersey, leading to around 140 deaths a year and around 1,000 hospital admissions.
Mr Cameron said nicotine patches available to prisoners had been changed after staff researched varieties that were less likely to dissolve in hot water to be used in homemade cigarettes.
