“E-BURN HAS ALREADY BEEN PICKED UP
IN THE USA AND HAS BEEN TRIALLED AT A
NUMBER OF SECURE FACILITIES IN THE UK.”
The UK prison system is in crisis. Massive budget cuts,
staff losses and overcrowding have led some critics to
declare that many prisons are simply not fit for purpose.
At the end of May this year, 76 of the 117 prisons in England
held 9,496 more people than they were designed for and in the
last 30 years the prison population has increased by 82%. Given
that around 70% of inmates suffer from mental health problems
and many of these are locked in their cells for extended periods
each day, the fact that 80% of male prisoners are smokers is
hardly surprising.
So the decision to make all prisons in England and Wales
smoke-free by the end of August this year was a controversial
one. And it was only a matter of time before stories of unrest
hit the headlines. HMPs Haverigg, Drake Hall, Birmingham
and Walton in Liverpool have all reported riots, with further
violence and damage reported at HMP Cardiff, among others.
To outsiders it may seem odd that smoking has been tolerated in
prisons for so long. After all, the nationwide ban came into effect
everywhere else a decade ago. But as prison cells are considered
‘homes’ rather than workplaces, they were exempt from the law,
much to the frustration of the minority of non-smoking inmates
who opposed indoor smoking on health and safety grounds.
An unfortunate side-effect of the policy has been a worrying
increase in the use of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS).
Drugs such as Black Mamba and Spice have been wreaking
havoc on the prison system for a while now, causing users to
react unpredictably and sometimes violently, leading many to
be hospitalised.
The Independent Monitoring Board addressed this in
January:
“Since the introduction of smoke-free there was almost a
doubling of rulings against prisoners in which they lose benefi ts,
predominantly in NPS related offences, resulting in a large
increase in the number of days added to sentences.”
Given the dangers of depriving inmates of one of their few
luxuries, it seemed logical that vaping could fi ll the void. But as
some devices could potentially be misused, former Senior Prison
Offi cer Darren Haley has come up with a tamper-proof, disposable
alternative that’s good for 320 two-second puffs – the equivalent
of 30-35 cigarettes.
E-Burn has been designed with prisons, NHS mental health
secure units, private hospitals and nursing homes in mind. At fi rst
glance it looks pretty basic – just a plastic tube with a couple of
wires intersecting on the inside. But considerable thought has
gone into every element of its design.
The rigid body makes it very diffi cult to modify or weaponise and
as it’s semi-transparent, any attempts to do so would be easy
for staff to spot. Inside the tube is a serial number which can be
traced back to the prisoner it was supplied to. The glowing green
light at the end helps detect the presence of tobacco and other
prohibited substances.
E-Burn has already been picked up in the USA and has been
trialled at a number of secure facilities in the UK. Midway through
a six-month trial at The Isle of Man Prison, Prison Governor Bob
McColm is optimistic that the devices could help both prisoners
and staff sharing their environment.
“Changes in the behaviour of inmates is being monitored closely;
but anecdotal evidence shows that this trial has been a success.
The Independent Monitoring Board has said that the environment
is clearer and cleaner. All feedback from staff, inmates and IMB
is positive”.
Even if pilots do prove to be successful, that doesn’t necessarily
mean that E-Burn will be rolled out nationwide. But given the
fact that it is a far a more attractive smoking-cessation aid than
traditional Nicotine Replacement Therapy and is thousands of
pounds a year cheaper for the taxpayer, Her Majesty’s Prison and
Probation Service would be foolish not to give E-Burn time to live
up to its huge potential.
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