Prisoners given toys, music lessons to quit smoking
Some of the State's most hardened criminals are receiving toys to help them quit smoking.
7News can reveal Rubik’s cubes and music appreciation classes are part of a taxpayer-funded smoking diversion strategy in Queensland jails.
Since May, state prisons have been smoke free and as a result, taxpayers have had to fork out close to $1 million to help more than 5000 inmates kick the habit.
Documents obtained exclusively through Right to Information legislation reveal the lengths prison bosses are going to, to help the crims with their nicotine cravings.
Inmates are being supplied with jigsaw and Sudoku puzzles, cross words and stress balls.
They are encouraged to channel their Zen in yoga classes and focus on their fitness by playing futsal and table tennis.
In the Far north, criminals are asked to 'putt' rather than 'puff'.
Documents reveal $5000 was allocated for two golf putting greens for the Lotus Glen correctional facility,
Debbie Kilroy from Sisters Inside believes the classes are a waste of time and money.
"Forget putt putt because I can't actually think of anyone I know who smokes and wants to give it up to go play putt putt for example that is part of the therapy that is just absolute rubbish," she said.
"Out at the women's prison at Wacol we have three to a cell it is one hundred women over capacity it is just outrageous that is what needs to be looked at not who is smoking and who is not smoking."
Weekly prison intelligence briefings obtained by 7News show tensions in the lead up to the statewide tobacco bans escalated amongst prisoners at the Brisbane's Women's Correctional Centre at Wacol.
Dr Christian Rowan disagrees, saying simple distractions can be highly beneficial.
"People going through nicotine withdrawal can be restless, they can be anxious, they can have anxiety, they can have sleep disturbance and that can be very uncomfortable for them," he said.
Combining medicines pharmacological treatment with non-pharmacological strategies is the most effective way of getting people off cigarettes."
In a bid to soothe ex-smokers with song, women inmates were appeased with music appreciation classes.
Songs include "Patience' by Guns and Roses, George Michael's 'Faith', Tainted Love by Soft Cell and Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun'.
This quote shows an order for new musical instruments including 10 guitars, tambourines, egg-shakers, maracas and 20 recorders at a cost of $1788.20.
The Government splashed a further $590,000 on anti-smoking material and educational tools and a further $100,000 on pharmacotherapy like nicotine withdrawal products, patches and lozenges.
