The Cayman Islands Prison Department of Northward Prison has released information regarding drug use of prisoners in the Cayman Islands and what has and is being done to combat the occurrence of infractions.
The information, which was obtained by the Caymanian Compass via an open records request, states that in the last year 438 drug tests have been administered on prisoners, 383 of those were on male prisoners, while 55 were conducted on females. Data from those tests would suggest that of those tested, roughly 16 per cent were using drugs, with 66 testing positive for ganja and 9 testing positive for cocaine.
“The Prison Service takes a zero tolerance position on the use of illegal drugs on or within any of the facilities under the control of the prison service,” stated Cayman Islands Prison Service Information Manager Ricardo Lashley.
Earlier this year, roughly three pounds of cannabis was found in separate incidents of interdiction at the facility over the course of one week.
Mr. Lashley said staff at the prison’s facilities in the Cayman Islands are also tested on occasion. He pointed out that this was done in accordance with renewal of contracts, which requires medical certification. To date no officer has tested positive for drugs as part of this renewal process. There is also target testing of officers, which includes what prison officials called general testing.
The criteria for testing prisoners is listed as, “….parole, request from external agencies, category change, transfers, enhancement, activity, intelligence.”
If drugs are found to be in a prisoner’s system, that individual is dealt with under the Prison’s disciplinary procedure, as outlined in the Prison’s Rules (1999 Revision) section 37 1 and 40 1. These stipulate that a prisoner found guilty of consuming drugs for the first time will have one third of time automatically taken off of a sentence, added back on if he is unable to pass follow up tests after being identified as a user. This can also be done for any infraction deemed serious enough. No extra time can be added to a sentence once it is served however and the prison does not charge inmates with consumption of drugs.
“For example, if you get 12 months, by law you only have to serve eight. However, if you are caught using drugs, you will have the threat of serving the entire 12 months and we often see inmates clean up as a result of this policy, as they must test negative to get time off,” said Mr. Lashley.
“We are unable to add extra time to a sentence for noncompliance, but rarely do we find individuals who will not stop using in order to get their remission/ the one third of time off due to them by law for good behaviour. Repeat offenders simply lose this time and serve the full term of their sentences receiving no time off for good behaviour. They don’t receive any more time for using, nor are they charged with new offences,” explained Mr. Lashley.
The cost of testing one prisoner for drugs is $5.20.
With regard to tobacco use in the prison, Mr. Lashley said the Tobacco Law (2008) extends to the prison facilities in the Cayman Islands.
This allows for prisoners to smoke in their cells. While prisoners who do not smoke will be accommodated together. Smoking on the prison compound must be done 10 feet away from any buildings. It is an offence to smoke in non-designated areas and no smoking is allowed inside communal areas, such as the cell block landing and association rooms.
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