Prisoners will not be able to have more than three pieces of fruit a day in New Zealand jails, after a major riot was found to have been caused by inmates who were drunk on home-brewed alcohol.
Officials revealed yesterday that prisoners had been drinking a potent cocktail of fermented fruit and alcohol-based hand sanitiser before the massive brawl at Spring Hill prison in June, which was the worst prison riot in 15 years.
Twenty-three prisoners are facing charges for their actions during the 10-hour riot, in which inmates used sporting equipment as weapons, broke into staff areas and set cell blocks alight.
Chief executive Ray Smith told a select committee that Corrections had removed alcohol-based sanitiser from all prisons, and was planning to put limits on the amount of fruit that inmates could stockpile.
"We're saying you can buy seven pieces of fruit in a week, not an unlimited supply of fruit. So that means that prisoners can have three pieces of fruit a day." Inmates are given two pieces of fruit a day. "That won't solve the issue altogether but it will reduce the risk of people being able to accumulate fruit."
