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First published on 
By Amber allott
Three inmates from Christchurch Women’s Prison were admitted to hospital, and now face new charges, after eating the hallucinogenic plant, datura.
The women told authorities they found datura growing on the prison grounds. (file photo)
Photo: 123RF
The prison is conducting an operational review of the incident, which occurred on December 22, after a day of paid gardening work at the prison compound.
In a statement to StuffThe prison’s director, Deborah Alleyne, said the trio had been warned by an instructor earlier in the day after “challenging each other to eat worms, lick spiders and taste plants.”
After the lunch break, the staff noticed that they were exhibiting “worrying behavior”, including imbalance, confusion and vomiting, he said.
The women were removed from the workplace and cared for by the prison health staff, and the site was closed so that six staff members could accompany the women to the hospital for further observations.
“There are no ongoing health concerns for any of the prisoners involved,” Alleyne said.
One woman returned to the prison that night and was admitted to the Intervention and Support Unit for follow-up, and two remained in the hospital overnight and were discharged the next day.
“When interviewed, the women admitted to having eaten various plants and insects, including a plant of the datura species.
“The plant was removed from the grounds and immediately destroyed.”
Alleyne said staff had conducted more checks on the grounds to make sure there are no similar plants on site.
An operational review is underway to find out how the plant grew in the field.
“The plant is a known weed and several years ago it was eradicated from the prison grounds,” he said.
Women accused of misconduct
Datura is a group of nine species of poisonous flowering plants, which can cause people to hallucinate. However, they are also muscle relaxants and can affect breathing, heart rate, and even death.
Alleyne said that inmates participating in employment and training activities in the industry were expected to take privilege and responsibility seriously.
The women involved have been accused of misconduct and their charges will be heard by a hearing judge.
“If the charges continue and they are found or pleaded guilty, they can be punished with the loss of privileges such as television or hobby materials, loss of income or a period of confinement in a cell.”
Additional actions can also be taken in response to the findings of the review.
This story was first published on the Stuff website.
