Prisoners Drink Hand Gel, Hilarity Ensues

Don't try this at home, kids. Well, actually, kids would probably just swipe some booze from their parents. I guess when you're behind bars you have to get a little more creative.

Hand gel has been banned from a prison after inmates got drunk on it and started a fight, it was revealed today.

Inmates at HMP The Verne on the Isle of Portland in Dorset were drinking the gel for its alcohol content after it was put in one prison wing to stop the spread of swine flu.

Peter McParlin, area representative for the Prison Officers Association (POA), said prisoners were making 'hooch' from the gel.

He criticised senior management for giving inmates access to the alcoholic gel.

'They would have been advised to listen to the local POA committee in the first place, who raised concerns as to whether it was wise to put this gel with an alcoholic content within access of the inmates,' he said.

'It was most unwise. The local committee at The Verne raised this specific point with senior management at The Verne, including the governor.

'We raised concerns whether prisoners would be able to adulterate it and add fruit and water and sugar to make it into what is known in prison parlance as 'hooch'.

'They were assured senior management had looked into this and that could not happen but clearly their advice was wrong.

'Hooch, in the experience of staff, is just as bad if not worse than drugs.

'Prisoners with drinks which have extreme alcoholic content become extremely violent with consequences on health and security.'