Prison boss committed to keeping ganja out of the hands of inmates even if some warders disagree

Jamaica's prison boss, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Prendergast, has admitted that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is struggling to stem the flow of ganja into the prisons.

According to Prendergast, the nifty methods used by smugglers to get the weed into the prisons keep evolving.

"One inmate stitched it into the lining of his clothes. They also try to smuggle it in food ... they find creative ways," said Prendergast.

"We are grappling with it. I won't say that we have a firm grip but we are trying a number of things," Prendergast added.

He told our news team that against the backdrop of the country's current ganja laws, he would not even countenance the thought of supporting the use of ganja to manage the prison population.

"At this point in time, the use of marijuana is illegal, so whether some of my staff thinks that it makes the population easier to control ... there is no need for a review because it is still illegal," said Prendergast.

The commissioner of corrections also stressed that any correctional officer caught smuggling the contraband into any of the penal facilities will face the full brunt of the law.

Prendergast then told our news team that a correctional officer was recently sentenced to six months in prison for smuggling ganja into one of the prisons.

He said his administration is doing everything it can to stem the flow of marijuana into correctional facilities.

"I know that it takes place. We know for a fact that some of our officers smuggle ganja into the institutions and sometimes it is thrown over the fence and the inmates pick it up and run into their cells," said Prendergast.

There are no recent reports of any prison inmate being charged for possession of ganja.