Prisoner died from taking Spice just weeks after warning others of jail drug pushers

A prisoner who made a video warning of the dangers of taking drugs in prison died weeks after smoking the illegal drug Spice.

In his prison video, recorded in February last year, 22 year-old Luke Morris Jones said he's never smoked the drug before he was jailed.

But by the following month, Luke was found unconscious in his cell. He was rushed to hospital but died minutes after arriving.

In the video, recorded with the permission of prison authorities, Luke warns other inmates of the dangers of taking the drug and those who sell it.

Luke was given a four-year sentence for robbery in 2018 and was jailed at the controversial ‘super prison’ HMP Berwyn in Wrexham.

An inquest into his death revealed that fake legal letters soaked with the drug Spice are being smuggled into the prison.

Luke Jones who died at the age of 22 after smoking the drug Spice.

The letters are coated with synthetic, psychoactive substances like Spice and Black Mamba, which are then burned and smoked by inmates.

The jail's head of custody Rachel James said dealers used the correspondence to try to get past the prison's security procedures.

Berwyn Prison where Luke was found unconscious in his cell.

In an exclusive interview with ITV Wales current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar, Luke's father Dei Keith Jones believes stricter security measures should have been put in place to prevent illegal drugs from getting in.

The jury at the inquest into Luke’s death found that “systematic failings” at HMP Berwyn in stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the prison had contributed to his death.

Luke's father said the prison should not have been opened without 'all the facilities up and running'
'Anti-corruption prevention training' has since been launched for over 500 members of staff at the 2,100-capacity prison. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Dubbed a 'super prison' when it opened in February 2017, Berwyn is the second largest prison in Europe, with room for more than 2,000 inmates and is a Category C prison.

In July, HM Inspectorate of Prisons published its first report into conditions at Berwyn.

Although the prison was commended in some areas, the report revealed that almost half the inmates felt that illegal drugs were too easily available.

Solicitor Michael Strain, who has several clients at HMP Berwyn, told ITV News many of them are aware of the drug problems and want to be sent to other jails.

"I have clients who want me to try and get them back into Altcourse in Liverpool which is a Category B prison, which is a prison for more serious offenders. It’s a stricter prison but they prefer being in there because they feel safer and at less risk of being forced to take these drugs."

In a statement The Ministry of Justice told ITV News: “Our heartfelt sympathies are with the family of Mr Jones.

“HMP Berwyn has since ramped up its drug defences with increased checks, a new dedicated search team, a full-time sniffer dog, tighter visiting procedures and a full review of its CCTV.”

And you can see more on that story in Y Byd ar Bedwar tonight at 9:30 on S4C.