Prison authorities find drugs stash in Jesus prayer card

While some say they get a high from the word of God, one Massachusetts inmate might have taken it a bit too literally.

Authorities at a prison in Concord, Massachusetts discovered strips of a narcotic called Suboxone hidden in a prayer card with a depiction of Jesus emblazened on the front. "If you've ever wondered how inmates smuggle in drugs to prison, here is yet another way that officers at MCI Concord discovered." The Massachusetts Department of Corrections (DOC) said in a Facebook post.

In images provided by the DOC, 14 small orange strips can be seen hidden inside a card reading 'A Prayer for Comfort'. According to the DOC, each strip can fetch up to $100 behind bars and are usually cut into smaller pieces and then sold.

A spokesperson for the DOC, Chris Fallon, told the Boston Globe that Suboxone was one of the most smuggled drugs into prisons and prisoners were "always coming up with creative ways" to get it.

According to the American Addiction Centres, Suboxone is a short-acting opiod and is often used by addicts between heroin doses to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay - the high is thought to be less intense than other opiods. It can also be used as part of drug abuse treatment programs.

Along with 'subs', the drug is allegedly known by the names 'stop signs', 'bupe', 'sobos' and 'oranges'. The strips in Concord were found during checks on incoming mail on 10 October.

A number of Facebook users found the funny side of the story, with one writing: "Nothing like a little prayer from Jesus". Another decided puns were the right reaction and comments: "Looks like orange is the new crack", referencing the hit Netflix show set in a women's prison, Orange is the New Black.