Bid to smuggle tobacco into jail

Nearly three weeks into the ban on smoking in prisons, Whanganui Prison has already caught one visitor attempting to smuggle tobacco in.
But overall the transition has gone well, the prison manager says.
A complete smoking ban was introduced in prisons nationwide on July 1. The ban was announced a year in advance of it taking effect, to give prisoners a chance to give up smoking.
At Whanganui Prison, 200 of the 500 inmates were identified as smokers, and 182 of those received nicotine replacement therapy.
There has been one instance of a prison visitor smuggling a small amount of tobacco into the prison since the ban came into effect but staff found the package on a prisoner following the visit.
The prisoner faces internal disciplinary action and the visitor was banned from the site.
Whanganui Prison manager Hati Kaiwai said the prison had adapted its methods of stopping contraband entering the prison with the expectation that prisoners and their visitors would attempt to get tobacco and lighters into the prison sites.
Visitors caught bringing contraband in can be prohibited from visiting the prison and prisoners can face internal charges, including cell confinement and loss of privileges, where the charge is proven.
Mr Kaiwai said the focus for the prison had been on promoting and running healthy exercise-based activities, such as circuit training and other constructive activities like art classes, which had proved popular.
Mr Kaiwai said he did not have data on how many prisoners had stopped using nicotine replacement therapy since the ban was put in place, because it was a personal choice.
There had been no instances of prisoners abusing the nicotine replacement therapy since the ban was implemented. But before July 1 a small percentage of prisoners were trying to get nicotine out of the smoking cessation aids on offer.
"The effectiveness of this was considered particularly limited," he said.
Mr Kaiwai said 11 staff had been trained by the Quit Group to lead smoking cessation for support staff and prisoners who wished to give up smoking before the ban took effect.
Although some prisoners had expressed their concerns at having to quit smoking, most accepted the change and saw it as an opportunity to kick the habit, he said.
Overall, implementation of the ban had gone very well and "without major incident", he said.
"We are now providing a safer, healthier smoke-free working environment."