Phil Goff

By Maggie Tait and Laura McQuillan of NZPA

Wellington, June 29 NZPA - Changes to ban smoking in prisons do not need to be so sudden, Labour leader Phil Goff says, as concerns are raised the move will increase violence behind bars.

Corrections Minister Judith Collins said yesterday the possibility of staff and inmates suing the Corrections Department over second-hand smoke was a factor in her decision to ban prisoners from smoking in jails from July 1 next year.

"The safety and health of our staff is my number one concern in our prisons," she told reporters.

Corrections boss Barry Matthews also said double bunking was a factor, but not a major one. Assessors would not have to worry about pairing non-smokers together.

The Corrections Association has raised concerns about addicts who become aggressive and told The New Zealand Herald today guards had been told by prisoners to expect to get the "bash" for stopping them smoking. It wants more staff on duty and better equipment for guards.

Former prison manager Celia Lashlie, now a researcher and commentator, told NZPA she didn't "believe for a minute" that the ban was a health and safety move, and it would push already-volatile prisons closer to major incidents.

There were other ways of protecting staff, like having smoking areas.

"You'll introduce another layer of policing that staff have to do to get another level of desperation into the lives of already desperate and disconnected people... I think we're on the verge of some major incidents anyway -- we can't keep doing what we're doing, we can't keep screwing the system down in the way that we're doing and not expect that something will blow, and I think that this will help blow it."

Mr Goff said he agreed that smoking should not be allowed in prisons and there were legitimate concerns about the "toxic environment" staff had to work in.

But there were better ways of doing it and it did not have to be a rushed change.

"It's all very well for the minister to get macho about it and for the prison officers cop the flak," he told reporters this morning.

"You've got to do it in a way that does not result in violence against prison officers. That means taking it step by step, not the big macho announcement that we saw that it will come in all on day one next year."

Mr Matthews yesterday said the department expected there would be problems but they could be managed.

Prime Minister John Key accepted there was a risk. "Then there's the other arguments - cigarettes are often used for bartering in prisons, there are risks around lighters and matches. I think on balance, the fact that people need to work in that place and many of those prisoners and corrections officers are non-smokers, then I think it's right."

Ms Collins said arguments against the policy did not stack up when 3500 staff were being exposed to high levels of second-hand smoke.

About 5700 out of 8700 prisoners smoke.

Options such as only allowing smoking outside or requiring smokers to stub out before a guard had to go into their cell were ruled out.

Ms Collins said the smell in cells for non-smokers was unbearable and Mr Matthews said it would be hard to enforce only outdoor smoking as inmates would have cigarettes on them or there would have to be extensive searches every time they went back indoors.

Also there were problems with inmates using lighters and matches to start fires and flames could be used to melt plastic into sharp weapons while tobacco smoke could also be used to conceal cannabis use.

Inmates and guards would have a year to adjust. But new inmates would have to go cold turkey although an eight-week Health Ministry programme, including nicotine replacements, would be available.