“The K2 crisis in prisons has made me realize it is not realistic to eradicate all illegal drug usage behind bars. Instead, we should find strategies for safe and responsible harm reduction.”
By Derek Jason LeCompte, Prison Journalism Project
This story was originally published by Prison Journalism Project.
I entered my cell and found my cellmate babbling, a spaced-out look in his eyes. The pungent scent of burnt paper was overwhelming. My eyes watered. I monitored his high for about 30 minutes to make sure he did not die of an overdose or attack me because he was too intoxicated to know what was happening.
Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common occurrence in New Jersey prisons. It stems from a type of synthetic cannabinoid known as K2.
K2 usage has become what one state prison official called “a serious problem.” In recent months, we have received multiple memos outlining this fact from the state prison commissioner’s office, which has urged prisoners not to smoke K2, and to report people to medical personnel or guards if they appear to need help. Never in my 27 years incarcerated have I seen a substance as unregulated, widely used and dangerous as K2.
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