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| Prisoners say ‘spice’ use has tripled, fuelling violence, illness and debt | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Recent mobile phone videos and TV footage have shone a light on prisons. They appear lawless and chaotic places, where drug use is widespread. | |
| One video illegally filmed on a banned mobile phone by prison inmates captured disturbing footage of a semi-naked prisoner dressed in tea towels, apparently high, dancing for the entertainment of others to get a fix of a synthetic cannabis known as “spice”, which the chief inspector of prisons said last month is “having a devastating impact in UK prisons”. | One video illegally filmed on a banned mobile phone by prison inmates captured disturbing footage of a semi-naked prisoner dressed in tea towels, apparently high, dancing for the entertainment of others to get a fix of a synthetic cannabis known as “spice”, which the chief inspector of prisons said last month is “having a devastating impact in UK prisons”. |
| In a new report, prisoners reveal the prevalence and effects of new psychoactive substances (NPS), of which spice is by far the most common, on their minds and bodies. | In a new report, prisoners reveal the prevalence and effects of new psychoactive substances (NPS), of which spice is by far the most common, on their minds and bodies. |
| 'Your problems disappear,' said one inmate | 'Your problems disappear,' said one inmate |
| Of 805 prisoners surveyed in nine jails, a third had used spice in the previous month. The majority of survey participants estimated between half and nearly all prisoners had used spice in prison. The peer-led inquiry, conducted by ex-offenders’ organisation User Voice, also found the growing popularity of spice had contributed to an increase in violence, bullying, mental and physical ill health, and even death. | Of 805 prisoners surveyed in nine jails, a third had used spice in the previous month. The majority of survey participants estimated between half and nearly all prisoners had used spice in prison. The peer-led inquiry, conducted by ex-offenders’ organisation User Voice, also found the growing popularity of spice had contributed to an increase in violence, bullying, mental and physical ill health, and even death. |
| “Spice has taken over the drug culture in prison,” said a respondent. “It’s reached epidemic levels.” | “Spice has taken over the drug culture in prison,” said a respondent. “It’s reached epidemic levels.” |
| The survey, conducted between December 2015 and April 2016 found spice use in the previous month was three times higher than reported in the chief inspector of prisons’ 2014-15 annual report. | The survey, conducted between December 2015 and April 2016 found spice use in the previous month was three times higher than reported in the chief inspector of prisons’ 2014-15 annual report. |
| Spice has the effect of blurring out time and has become known as the “bird killer” (“bird” being slang for a prison sentence – you can pass your time in jail in a blur). Its categorisation as a synthetic cannabinoid masks the fact it is much stronger than cannabis, and has a hallucinatory dimension. Prisoners say they have seen “people come out of their cell, run along the landing and go straight towards the gates because they think they can run through the gates … or run towards a wall and actually think they can run through the wall”. | Spice has the effect of blurring out time and has become known as the “bird killer” (“bird” being slang for a prison sentence – you can pass your time in jail in a blur). Its categorisation as a synthetic cannabinoid masks the fact it is much stronger than cannabis, and has a hallucinatory dimension. Prisoners say they have seen “people come out of their cell, run along the landing and go straight towards the gates because they think they can run through the gates … or run towards a wall and actually think they can run through the wall”. |
| Other stories include a prisoner saying he had seen someone high on the drug eating their own vomit in a bowl and dipping bread into it; another saw someone drinking water from the toilet and eating salt. “When I had my last experience of spice, I felt my brain was being ripped out,” one inmate said. | Other stories include a prisoner saying he had seen someone high on the drug eating their own vomit in a bowl and dipping bread into it; another saw someone drinking water from the toilet and eating salt. “When I had my last experience of spice, I felt my brain was being ripped out,” one inmate said. |
| Related: Number of prison deaths linked to legal highs rises steeply | Related: Number of prison deaths linked to legal highs rises steeply |
| The report was commissioned by the NHS, which is concerned by the increase in medical emergencies in prison seemingly brought on by use of legal highs. Callouts of all emergency services to jails have risen by 52% from 14,475 in 2011 to 22,055 in 2015. “Fifty-seven ambulances came to this wing in one month,” said a prisoner. Another counted 17 ambulances at his prison in one day. | The report was commissioned by the NHS, which is concerned by the increase in medical emergencies in prison seemingly brought on by use of legal highs. Callouts of all emergency services to jails have risen by 52% from 14,475 in 2011 to 22,055 in 2015. “Fifty-seven ambulances came to this wing in one month,” said a prisoner. Another counted 17 ambulances at his prison in one day. |
| Last month the prisons and probation ombudsman reported that there had been 39 deaths in custody linked to NPS between 2013 and 2015, compared with a previous figure of 19 for synthetic cannabinoids between 2012 and 2014. | Last month the prisons and probation ombudsman reported that there had been 39 deaths in custody linked to NPS between 2013 and 2015, compared with a previous figure of 19 for synthetic cannabinoids between 2012 and 2014. |
| Given what is known of the risks – and the associated effects of palpitations, seizures, paranoia – what is the attraction for so many prisoners? For some the answer is obvious: “Your problems disappear cos you don’t think about them,” said one inmate. | Given what is known of the risks – and the associated effects of palpitations, seizures, paranoia – what is the attraction for so many prisoners? For some the answer is obvious: “Your problems disappear cos you don’t think about them,” said one inmate. |
| Until last week, when a law banning all legal highs came into force, the use of NPS were permitted in England and Wales, except for inside prisons, where they have always been banned. However, prisoners and staff had developed a variety of methods for getting substances past security systems, even using drones to fly them in. With no drugs test available for these laboratory-made compounds, prisoners still have little need to worry about getting caught. | Until last week, when a law banning all legal highs came into force, the use of NPS were permitted in England and Wales, except for inside prisons, where they have always been banned. However, prisoners and staff had developed a variety of methods for getting substances past security systems, even using drones to fly them in. With no drugs test available for these laboratory-made compounds, prisoners still have little need to worry about getting caught. |
| For User Voice founder, Mark Johnson, the theory that prisoners are taking spice because they are bored ignores a deeper issue: “People are going into prison – and coming out – with undiagnosed and untreated existing mental health and substance abuse issues,” he says. “This report quite clearly shows the current health and substance misuse services are not fit for purpose.” | For User Voice founder, Mark Johnson, the theory that prisoners are taking spice because they are bored ignores a deeper issue: “People are going into prison – and coming out – with undiagnosed and untreated existing mental health and substance abuse issues,” he says. “This report quite clearly shows the current health and substance misuse services are not fit for purpose.” |
| None of the regular users interviewed knew what was in what they were taking, and none cared. For some, the escapism was enough, but for others, spice has seen an unravelling of mental and physical ill health, and addiction. And with its high price combined with prisoners’ low incomes, spice addiction has led to users becoming endebted to dealers in prison and suffering violence – one reports a fellow inmate being sexually exploited to get his fix of spice. | None of the regular users interviewed knew what was in what they were taking, and none cared. For some, the escapism was enough, but for others, spice has seen an unravelling of mental and physical ill health, and addiction. And with its high price combined with prisoners’ low incomes, spice addiction has led to users becoming endebted to dealers in prison and suffering violence – one reports a fellow inmate being sexually exploited to get his fix of spice. |
| Last month the Guardian reported on the case of Sam Johnson, a schizophrenic addicted to spice. Mobile phone footage of Sam being beaten for fun by dealers he was in debt to emerged, to the horror of his family. “Every single member of my family who has watched that video has broken down and cried their eyes out, hysterical,” said his sister Kelly Johnson. | Last month the Guardian reported on the case of Sam Johnson, a schizophrenic addicted to spice. Mobile phone footage of Sam being beaten for fun by dealers he was in debt to emerged, to the horror of his family. “Every single member of my family who has watched that video has broken down and cried their eyes out, hysterical,” said his sister Kelly Johnson. |
| Indeed, the exploitation of habitual users has provided grim sport for prisoners: “They think it’s funny to watch a man drop to his knees, shake uncontrollably on the floor, go white as a ghost, nearly kill himself,” said a survey respondent. | Indeed, the exploitation of habitual users has provided grim sport for prisoners: “They think it’s funny to watch a man drop to his knees, shake uncontrollably on the floor, go white as a ghost, nearly kill himself,” said a survey respondent. |
| “Recently, I’ve been going back to the free pipes, where people give you a pipe for free,” admitted another. “You don’t have to pay for it, but you’re going under on it, and they’re going to torture you.” | “Recently, I’ve been going back to the free pipes, where people give you a pipe for free,” admitted another. “You don’t have to pay for it, but you’re going under on it, and they’re going to torture you.” |
| With sharp spikes in suicides, self-harm, violence and attacks on staff in prison [pdf] according to Ministry of Justice figures, the chief inspector of prisons, Peter Clarke, told the Guardian last month: “There need to be clear strategies to deal with the supply of these drugs into prisons, and to care for those who suffer from their effects.” | With sharp spikes in suicides, self-harm, violence and attacks on staff in prison [pdf] according to Ministry of Justice figures, the chief inspector of prisons, Peter Clarke, told the Guardian last month: “There need to be clear strategies to deal with the supply of these drugs into prisons, and to care for those who suffer from their effects.” |
| Kate Davies, head of health & justice at NHS England, says: “The worrying increase in NPS use in prisons is a priority for all healthcare service providers. The voice and experience of men and women in prisons is vital to provide a thorough understanding of how this can be tackled and will help determine the level of response required with our partnersacross theNational Offender Management Service and prison estate.” | Kate Davies, head of health & justice at NHS England, says: “The worrying increase in NPS use in prisons is a priority for all healthcare service providers. The voice and experience of men and women in prisons is vital to provide a thorough understanding of how this can be tackled and will help determine the level of response required with our partnersacross theNational Offender Management Service and prison estate.” |
| Commenting on the report, the Prison Service says it takes a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in prisons and uses sniffer dogs, cell searches and mandatory drugs tests to find them. | Commenting on the report, the Prison Service says it takes a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in prisons and uses sniffer dogs, cell searches and mandatory drugs tests to find them. |
| “We have already legislated to make smuggling NPS into prison illegal and those caught trying to throw packages over prison walls can now face up to two years in jail,” says a spokesman. | “We have already legislated to make smuggling NPS into prison illegal and those caught trying to throw packages over prison walls can now face up to two years in jail,” says a spokesman. |
| “However, we must do more, which is why we are investing £1.3bn to transform the prison estate, to better support rehabilitation and tackle bullying, violence and drugs.” | “However, we must do more, which is why we are investing £1.3bn to transform the prison estate, to better support rehabilitation and tackle bullying, violence and drugs.” |
| Prisoners themselves want urgent action. They say the situation seems to be getting worse, not better. “The amount of people I see die from it,” said one prisoner, “and serious mental health issues – there’s only one way you’re gonna go.” | Prisoners themselves want urgent action. They say the situation seems to be getting worse, not better. “The amount of people I see die from it,” said one prisoner, “and serious mental health issues – there’s only one way you’re gonna go.” |