Smoking to be banned in Canberra's prison by mid-year

Canberra's prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre, where smoking will be banned by the middle of the year. Picture by Karleen Minney

Smoking will banned at Canberra's prison by the middle of the year, with the Cancer Council ACT appointed to provide support to prisoners and staff.

The ban in the Alexander Maconochie Centre is likely to raise tensions among the prison population, where smoking rates are higher than in the community, with system insiders previously warning the government to expect riots.