California Moves to Ban Smoking in Prisons

[Whoa_Nelly]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California, the health-conscious state which has often led U.S. efforts to curb smoking, took a major step on Monday to end smoking in its prison system under a bill passed by one house of the legislature.

The Democrat-dominated assembly passed a measure by a vote of 64 to 4 that would amend the state's penal code to bar tobacco products from prisons and youth correctional facilities. Violators are subject to a $200 fine for a first-time violation and $1,000 for a third offense.

The measure is seen as a way to save the state money on health care as well as improve the health of inmates. Some parts California's criminal justice system such as county jails already ban smoking, but the new legislation institutes a wider prohibition.

more...
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4212524§ion=news

[arcos]

1. I could bet most inmates smoke...

jeez... the smoking nazis are back at it!

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. Gonna be some cranky inmates

No smoking could mean anything from fights to riots happening.

Will CA provide Stop Smoking assistance programs within the prisons to help ciggie addicts get over it?

[Occulus]

21. Great point.

I don't think they thought this through very well, and I predict a huge increase in prison riots and general violence immediately after it starts.

Remember, nicotine is more addictive than heroin.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

29. get ready for ATTICA type riots!...this could get ugly

[Bandit]

34. How would you like being locked up with no escape and forced to breath

Poisonous Fumes I call that cruel and unusual punishment. You can poison yourself all you wish but why do you wish to force your poison on others? That wasn't what the judge sentenced them to.

[Jack Rabbit]

2. Now that's gettiing tough on crime

. . . and it cuts a source of GOP financing.

[Mari333]

3. Expect riots.

and I dont blame them one bit for rioting.

[NashVegas]

36. Felons Have No Vote?

Do they?

[FeebMaster]

5. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment. (nt)

..

[Amager]

11. Took the words right out of my mouth

And how do they expect to fine inmates $200 and $1000 for offenses and actually see it paid? What are they going to do to them if they don't pay it? Send them to jail?

[LifeDuringWartime]

28. fine their families

or bill them

[KissMyAsscroft]

6. Yeah, thats a great idea...

Take away a key way of rewarding good behavior and calming jittery nerves. That's gonna go over really well.

I did a stint in drug treatment in my teens and let me tell you something about cigarettes....you want them to be around. Keeps everyone nice and chill.

[Mari333]

7. Its a dopamine fix

causes a dopamine storm in the brain...very hard to kick, I still havent. The withdrawals in a cage of a prison? BAD idea. Whose bright yuppie idea was this? Some rabid anti smoking group intent on making the lives of these guys more miserable then they already are??
Couldnt they put their energy into going after the REAL polluters, like big gas and oil companies ? How many of these antismokers drive SUVs or Hummers? Betcha plenty of them. Who will police them when their exhaust pollutes the freeways in LA?
I swear, social engineering. What a waste of time, while agribusinesses in CA and other states literally destroy the water and air...
another reason I will never move to California. Nanny state.

[Bandit]

39. That is just blatantly false

Nicotine does not calm nerves in fact it does just the opposite. Nicotine is an agitator and greatly increases nervousness.

[Devlzown]

8. I guy I knew who did some federal time

told me that they didn't allow smoking. Our county jail here banned smoking a couple of years ago. I'm a smoker, and just the thought of going a couple of days (much less years) without my cigs is enough to make me think twice about fucking up.

[Caution]

12. not true

you can smoke in federal prison

[Devlzown]

14. I guess I better make sure

I stick to federal crimes then.:evilgrin:

[Sugarbleus]

20. LOL.... Dev n/t

[Logansquare]

9. Now, what will they use as currency? Gum? nt

[peterh]

10. Gee…what are they going to barter with….

Sweethearts???

:freak:

[ben_thayer]

13. I work in a non-smoking county jail

and it's not a big problem. The Inmates try to get me to give them cigarettes, but don't push it when I say NO. Most of them seem to take it in stride. The only time things get real tense is when their TVs stop working for a week or two.

Edit:
And yes, Peter- Candy bars ARE the main currency!
:)

[Sugarbleus]

22. TV's??? Our state reps. think tv for inmates is a sin...! Bastards! eom.

[David__77]

15. Fine as long as they provide the patch, Nicorette, etc.

I actually think that the smoking affects the health not only of the smoking prisoner, but also of the prison workers and the non-smoking employees. Were I in the legislature, I think I would vote for this measure. The only problem is making sure that nicotine dependency really is dealt with appropriately.

[Piperay]

26. I agree

:thumbsup:

[shanti]

16. it's gonna get ugly!

ciggies are used like money in prison.

[LeighAnn]

23. Now they'll be worth a lot more eom

[Sugarbleus]

17. OMG!!!! I just wrote to the State Assembly about this today!

I wrote a FLAMMMMMMMMMMING letter to Tim Leslie and the other signers on of this ridiculous bill!

This has nothing to do with the inmates health and everything to do with "punishment". The CDC doesn't even give the inmates soap to do their laundry in one prison I know of! The inmates have to PAY for MOST of their own healthcare...unless it's an emergency. The CDC has stopped allowing "care packages" sent in by friends and families; now they have to order a "pre packaged" kit by way of some other source. Sometimes that package will cost a fortune!!
I watched the cal channel today, by accident, and saw some of the reps LAUGHING at the idea that inmates (>note:I am standing up for the non violent offenders) should have anything. One guy was saying inmates were "pampered" (paraphrased by me) with TVs and had "too much"...'it's called Prison he says....It's just plain meaness and doesn't help anything at all.
We all know that smoking isn't healthy..........in the LONG RUN but there are plenty of other things that are worse......in the SHORT RUN. The old policy with CDC was for inmates to smoke outside in the yard. And YES, !duh!, they DO use smokes and other items for bartering when they have no $$/resources from outside. The penal system in Amerika is sliding into a third world mentality. We can't actually "torture" people, but we can "torment" them in piddly ways. We can "do things" to break their spirit so they become angry, disheartened, and resentful to everything else. It's okay for the Gropennator to smoke his honkin' stogies will diddling the assembly members et al in Sacto but an inmate can't smoke a comforting cig while outside in the yard. WTF.
I asked this Assemblyman if he and his cronies would have a good laugh when Rush went to prison, and if they would gladly take away his "TV"...oh, I said, I forgot, Rush ain't going is he? hmmmmm
Right after I wrote the letter to these jerks, I saw a piece on my local news about "prison guard cliques/gangs" causing all kinds of havoc in prisons around the state; lol, who knew :shrug: /sarc on I'm SHOCKED.
My feeling is that if this subject just falls by the wayside, then none of us progressives who mean business can complain about conditions inside the pokey when the Patriot act comes for us................................................... :think:

[Freddie Stubbs]

42. Prison is supposed to be an unpleasant place

Perhaps if it is unpleasant enough, people will not want to return.

[hellhathnofury]

18. I'm for it because it will hopefully reduce prison healthcare costs.

[Sugarbleus]

24. Who are YOU??

Geeezus, what an inhuman thing to say!!!!! People get stuck in these clandestine (oh so pretty and whitewashed) facilities because they broke some "law";maybe it was stealing a bottle of aspirin, maybe it was a drug offense, maybe it was shoplifting, maybe it was tax evasion, whatever. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE for the lives and health of those folks whose liberty is being held in abeyance. I'm not talking FACE LIFTS HERE. I guess you wouldn't want any tax money spent on poor people in general either? :mad:


Is EVERYTHING about the almighty freaking dollar???? Stingy stingy stingy............SHAME

[ElsewheresDaughter]

30. maybe he also thinks we should return to the Papillon Devils Island system

chain gang Cool Hand Luke? :crazy:

[Bandit]

37. Maybe you think prisoners should belocked up and forced to breath

Poisonous Fumes but I for one believe that is cruel and unusual punishment. My God it is terrible that prisoners should be forced to breath clean air and not be allowed to use Drugs gas chamber for your own personal pleasure.

[Muddleoftheroad]

38. It's also terrible for staff

And that is a reason to outlaw it.

[Undemcided]

44. If we're responsible for their lives ...

... why should we let them kill themselves by smoking?

[Avalon Sparks]

19. I think this is wrong...

and inhumane.

As a former smoker, I definitely can understand -

I didn't even realize how addictive Nicotine was until I tried to quit. On the second day I actually carried the foil wrapper my Nicotine patch came in and I'd hold it up to my nose and sniff it for a fix. That is when I realized what a monkey on my back I had... seriously. I wore the patch for a month, and I don't think there is anyway I could have quit painlessly without it.

However, for someone that wants to keep on smoking, being forced to quit must be horrible. They do just want to punish them even more...
yes they are in jail, but they don't really have much of anything - Jesus, when you don't have anything else sometimes, at least you got your smokes.

This is bullshit. Nanny state!

[northzax]

40. nanny state?

they're in PRISON. of course it's a nanny state. kinda the definition.

Personally, I think they should be allowed to smoke outside, if they wish, but not indoors (hey, if I can't smoke in my apartment (building regulations) or my office (DC law) why should prisons be any different?

Have a smoking area. If you can't smoke indoors, it makes the priviledge of going outside all the more valuable as a reward for good behaviour.

[Snappy]

25. The least

The least that they could pass is allowing prisoners to smoke outside. If they do pass this they sure better have quit smoking programs, the gum or the patch. This would really be cruel to long time smoker inmates.

[depakid]

27. Tobacco still will still get in

only it will be more expensive, invite more corruption and result in more disciplinary proceedings. In LA county jails, smoking has been banned for many years, yet clients have told me that it's readily available from several sources, as are many drugs. Tobacco often comes in with state prisoners (guess how) who are lodged there for court appearances and is then used to make rolies, which inmates can trade for or purchase (if they have any money on their person).

[GregW]

31. Sounds like a great 'OZ' episode

Wait ... it was an OZ episode!

[noonwitch]

32. I can't imagine that the CO's union backs this measure

for many reasons, mostly because the CO's don't want to deal with all those complaining inmates. Also, as long as there is smoking allowed, the prison can sell tobacco and papers to inmates who prefer to roll their own. If the prison store can't sell papers, it will cut into the corrupt officers' side trade, if you know what I mean.

[KansDem]

33. Why not require them to smoke outside?

Say, no closer than 15 feet to the main gate so as not to bother non-smokers going in and out?

[Jacobin]

35. They've already done that in Louisiana prisons

caused quite a stir and the inmates were very restless for a time

[mbperrin]

41. Texas prisons have been nosmoking for years.

nt

[Freddie Stubbs]

43. Since they switched from the electric chair to lethal injection

;)

[rocktivity]

45. I will go along with this

as long as they've got a nicotine addiction program in place. If they expect everyone to go cold turkey, they deserve all the trouble they'll get.

rocknation

[callous taoboy]

46. They already banned smoking

in restaurants...leaving only the conversation to annoy you.