Wrapping papers banned from prison
(CNS): Officials that supervise the country’s prison will be banning wrapping papers that are used by prisoners mostly to smoke ganja and not, as is usually claimed, to smoke tobacco. Following correspondence from a concerned citizen whopointed out that, while the authorities profess to be doing their best to control what is believed to be a prevalent use of ganja at HMP Northward, large size wrapping papers were still legal hand-ins. Already banned from the prison ‘shop’, the Portfolio of Internal Affairs confirmed Monday that “going forward the papers would no longer be allowed as hand-ins.”
In a CNS report last year, a former inmate revealed how he was able to use individual wrapping papers given to him by security guards at the jail as currency for snacks and cigarettes.
In the wake of more revelations recently by the UK prison inspectorate about the use of drugs in Northward, a concerned citizen queried the position of the portfolio, which is responsible for the facility, over the apparent contradiction about wrapping papers. Although they are no longer sold on prison property, the papers are still coming into the prison lawfully through the hand-in system.
In a letter to Eric Bush, the member of the public said he was aware that the deputy director of Northward Prison had defended allowing the continued hand-in of wrapping papers as the possession of the papers was not an offence.
Permitting papers into the prison was, the writer said, facilitating the use of ganja in the prison and demonstrated the "utter futility" of the RCIPS and the courts going through the motions at great expense to the public purse to incarcerate people for drug offences if the authorities continued to turn a blind eye to the use of drugs once the people were locked up. The author also pointed to the “unacceptable waste of money” for the Caymanian taxpayer to continually warehouse at any one time about 200 drug users on a rotational basis.
The portfolio head has now confirmed that the papers will no longer be allowed, as he agreed that the items do nothing to assist with the rehabilitation or security of inmates and may contribute to illegal activities.
However, other sources have told CNS that any blanket ban on papers will just increase their value in the prison as they, along with the drugs, will continue to be smuggled in as the drug use continues. With little rehabilitation and some inmates incarcerated and criminalized because of their habit, the drug problem in Northward is unlikely to be resolved by the banning of Rizlas.
Related articles on CNS:
Prison failing to control drugs
Category: Crime
Just another feather in the jester's hat of the RCIP.
Well bibles will be flying off the shelves, there will be a whole lot of spirits at the prison after all those pages have been smoked. Heck, we could even see a few ghetto pastors emerging from the Holy place.
This may be very good for stopping petty crime as most of the repeat offending petty criminals look forward to their return to Northward. The food is good, cable TV, XBox, air conditioning, fresh bedding. good weed, a free gym membership, no work, and all of thier friends. This is somthing they cannot get at home. Take away the weed and XBox is not so cool. Take away the weed and without the munchies, the food is not so good. Take away the weed and your friends look like loosers. Take away the weed and………you might want to WORK??? OH NO!
Sounds like you had a great time and don’t mind being there at all – oh well enjoy it!
Although i understand you are only going by what you have heard about Northward, you have obviously never been there before. It is actually a dump, usually very hot and the food is actually garbage contrary to popular belief. No matter how 'nice' a prison is compared to the institutions around the world, im sure very very few people actually look forward to going back and 'hanging out with their friends'. Studies have also shown that prisoners who use marijuana present a lower risk of violence towards guards and other inmates.
How bout you ban ganja? Nevermind the papers. There be plenty other ways to burn weed.
Look out for people smoking the whole chicken.
i have a brilliant idea. why dont they just ban drugs from prison!!!!
if they think that a lack of rolling papers will stop people from smoking they are sadly mistaken!!!
Rehabilitation is the way to go – how about a craft course, like clay pipe making?
I bet that would be every bit as popular as the rope ladder making class.
Cayman just cant get any dumber. Now is when they decide to stop this. Too late now idiots!!!!!!!!!!.
Legalise ganja, problems solved, prison empty.
You got to be kidding!!!! to legalise ganja does not solve a prison or empty the organisation, just look around you and see how many street vendors that supply to children. The prison will be emply but our streets will be crowded with Zombees, rapers and robbers – sit back and think about such reprecussions.
Tomorrows CNS Headline:
"Unexplained Increase in Paper Airplanes in Northward"
Who needs Rizzla papers anyhow. Just get a can, put a dent in it, punch a hole in the dent, suck through the hole that the straw was in and do what any dumb crackhead does every day. Surely a Ganga man is smarter than a crackhead!!!
Banning rolling papers, as a serious deterrant to pot smoking in jail, is as ludicrous as banning toilet paper in jail, because the only thing you can do with it is flush it down the toilet and it can't be used again!
This knee jurk reaction to one mans ranting and raving will do nothing but create another black market inside prison, that will be controlled by those in charge, to their financial benefit. They cannot (or will not) stop the black market for ganga, how will they be able to stop the black market in rolling papers, which is so much easier to hide than the actual ganga.If prison officials wanted to deter the blatent use of pot in prison they would simply prosecute the offenders and add more prison time to their sentence.
Price of rolling papers in prison just went up (not the availability).
You can take rizzlas out of the prison, to try and deter the smoking of Gamja, but I bet the next best substitution will be the "Brown Paper Bags" or any other paper substitute that would be the next best thing to the prisoners. One thing to be considered is that the prison will have to go "Paperless".
Puhleez. People are stooopud enough already.
Yep and then they will be all out on the streets.
Are you trying to increase the police force?
Its funny ubt its really sad. From the UK report, it seems that ganja is widely used in prison and tolerated. Let's face it you can't miss or mask the smell of it and if someone is smoking it outside, you can smell it – let alone when you are locked up in a confined area, so there's really no excuse for not being able to catch someone. So its pretty disgusting that we are paying these prison guards to do a job and they are wilfully not doing it. Also, ganga is what got a lot of these people in jail in the first place. How about compulsory rehab for all prisoners convicted of a drug related crime, with counselling and an assessment of their education levels so that they can their GED or better during their time in jail. What about some hands on training, such as plumbing, consruction, etc. and trying to line up a job for them when they get out, Then they have a way to support themseles and have less chance of having to commit another crime to support themselves. It makes me sad to see the state of some of our very bright young people, when they have been using drugs for a while. Cayman has a lot of bright people and many of them end up in jail for one reason or another.
Yes, for one reason or another, such as ineffective, irrational, prejudiced laws that put them there.
Also, random drug testing should be in place if it's not already
While this might be a step in the right direction, the prison needs to step it up. The people in Northward havenothing but time – you think they won't find some other way of getting around the fact that wrapping papers are no longer allowed? When I was a teenager I knew people who used the thin pages from bibles and dictionaries to smoke with. Where there's a will, there's a way.
TP "Bumwados" work fine too.
Ha ha ha! This was so funny to read. Let me get it straight:
How about banning water bottles and straws? I hear you can make some mean bongs with those. Ha ha ha ha! Article of the day CNS!
Anon,
Would it be correct to take your position on the use of ganja in prison tobe saying, legalize ganja?
If that is correct then we should disband the RCIPS Marine Unit, sell the helicopter, close the Drug Court, legalize the importation of ganja and all other drugs duty free because it will not be a legal export from other countries so no legal value system will be in place, advise the RCIPS that there will be no more drug raids, no arrests for ganja or other drugs regardless of the quantity, no more drug cases in Court, reduce our prison system to abour 25% of what it is today.
It is hoped that your vision for the Cayman Islands is not shared by many.
It hope that your comments were misunderstood and the assumption is wrong.
Why stop there, leagalise everything then the only people in prison will be innocent and the Cayman Islands will be finally crime free!
To answer your question: Legalize it, regulate it, tax it. It is less damaging than alcohol. It’s benefits in medicine have been well documented for years.
Welcome to the 21st century!
Yes, do away with all of it. After all, ganja is a much worse offense then say, raping a 13 year child. Caymankind my friends!
Banning toilet paper will cause some serious problems.
Drugs cannot enter the prison on their own. They don't walk in.
The only way drugs can enter the prison is through corruption in the prison administration. The real problem is that apparently the administration is unable to investigate itself
Banning wrapping paper in the prison to combat drug usage is ludicrous. That will only cause smokers to switch to newspapers and toilet paper.
Solve the problem, not the symptoms.