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A ventilation system is to be installed in two holding cells at Dunedin Central police station so remand prisoners may smoke without any risk to staff or other prisoners' health and safety.
The system will be installed soon, its $4500 cost recovered from the daily rate the Corrections Department pays police for holding remand prisoners, said emergency response group manager Inspector Alastair Dickie.
Dunedin police have found themselves holding more prisoners for Corrections in the past two years.
The issue reached critical point this year with more than 240 remand prisoners spending some time in Dunedin Central's 22 cells during April.
Police had to employ private security guards to look after remand prisoners and Corrections had to transfer some to other centres, including at least 12 people taken to Rimutaka Prison, near Wellington, in May.
Mr Dickie said Dunedin police allowed remand prisoners to smoke to "relieve any tension developed due to their close confinement over a number of days".
The vents would replace less efficient extraction systems already in place and protect staff from second-hand smoke in the cell processing area.
Having vents in the holding cells also meant prisoners would not have access to fire risks such as bedding or magazines while they smoked.
Generally, short-term prisoners were not permitted to smoke, Mr Dickie said.
"However, remand prisoners can be held for longer periods and the opportunity to exercise and other prison benefits do not exist at Dunedin Central, so allowing smoking is a small concession in their cases."
Tracey Maclennan of the Otago-Southland Police Association welcomed the move. She said prisoners had a right to smoke in their cells, so it was good that police staff and other inmates who did not want to smoke were protected.
-OTAGO DAILY TIMES
