In prison, drugs kill. HMP Parc, a private prison in Wales managed by G4S, has seen six inmate deaths over a period of three weeks. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO), the official body tasked with investigating deaths in prisons, soon realised that ‘at least’ two of those deaths were drug-related.
Imprisoned at HMP Wandsworth, I shared a cell with a regular spice smoker
The PPO believe that these deaths involve ‘spice’ combined with ‘another family of drugs’. Spice is a synthetic cannabinoid, popular in prison because it comes in the form of a liquid which can be impregnated on innocuous looking paper, making it easy to smuggle in. When smoked, it produces a sickly smell, and is often dangerous or deadly. It’s everywhere in our prisons.
In March 2020, imprisoned at HMP Wandsworth, I shared a cell with a regular spice smoker, and saw another man collapse on the wing after smoking it.
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