Fake tan and cigars see prison shops earn €7.5m

Sales of fake tan and Corona cigars in tuck shops around the country’s prison system contributed to revenues of more than €7.5m.

According to figures provided by the Department of Justice, the three busiest tuck shops are located at Mountjoy, the Midlands, and Wheatfield prisons, with each one generating revenues of more than €1m last year.

Tuck shops operate a monopoly on the trade of cigarettes, soft drinks, newspapers, sweets and crisps in the prisons and figures show the 13 tuck shops across the prison system enjoyed combined profits of €834,655 in the 12 months to the end of December last.

This followed the tuck shops generating €7.5m in revenues in 2011, with profits totalling €859,816.

According to the figures released in response to a Freedom of Information request, the most profitable tuck shop in the Irish prison system last year was in the 680-bed Wheatfield prison in Dublin, where profits totalled €195,497, with revenues at that tuck shop amounting to €1.095m.

The least profitable tuck shop was located at the open, low-security Loughan House in Co Cavan, where profits of €17,073 were recorded, with revenues totalling €119,510.

Wholesale giant BWG recently scooped a multi-million euro contract to supply goods to the tuck shops and the prison service has demanded as part of the contract that items on sale must include Rimmel fake tan, Pearl Drops Hollywood Smile dental products, and Hamlet and Corona cigars.

The Irish prison population currently stands 4,074 strong and the list of products that BWG has been contracted to supply the inmates is exhaustive.

The most popular item for sale is the 12.5g pack of Amber Leaf tobacco, with the prison service projecting almost 500,000 purchases over the course of a year.

The number of bags of cheese and onion Tayto crisps expected to be sold over one year is 281,767 packets, while 66,297 Mars bars will be sold over 12 months.

Tuck shop revenues are funded partly from the weekly gratuity that prisoners receive from the Prison Service, ranging from €6.65 to €15.40, while prisoners can also receive money from relatives.

No money changes hands between the prisoners and the officers manning the tuck shops, with all transactions done on account.

Tuck shop privileges are valued by prisoners and can be withdrawn by prison authorities if there is a breach of discipline.

The largest drop in profits and revenues occurred at the tuck shop serving the 248- bed Limerick Prison last year, with revenues tumbling by €280,168, or 33%, from €846,862 to €566,694. Profits fell by 36% from €142,771 to €90,958.

Limerick’s tuck shop was one of four prisons to record revenues between €500,000 and €1m last year. The figures show that Cloverhill recorded revenues of €766,621, with Castlerea generating €621,822, and €574,210 in revenues were recorded at Portlaoise.

The profits are used to support prisoners through the Prisoner Assist Programme Fund.

This fund facilitates hardship payments to prisoners whose families are in need. Initiatives such as the Red Cross Programme and the Community Return Programme are also part funded from the profits.