Should prisoners lose thier smoking privileges

While smoking bans are laudable and have a clear role in the public health arsenal, prisons cannot be viewed in the same light as restaurants, hospitals and office buildings- -(ImO)

Tobacco smoking has been an integral part of prison life and an established part of the prison culture. Tobacco serves a range of functions in prison: as a surrogate currency, a means of social control, as a symbol of freedom in a group with few rights and privileges, a stress reliever ..etc..

I get all the reasons they want to do away this (and probably have by now)
Non‐smoking prison staff and other inmates appear to be the main concern when it comes to health concerns, maybe thats OK- but taking away the 1 thing from someone who has had everything else taken from him/her seems only more likely to create situations where the major impact(The Black Market) creates a whole other set of problems>>
—standovers and intimidation, trading sex for tobacco, smuggling , from the debts accumulated by prisoners to buy contraband tobacco, to the staff who have to enforce and police them.
In California recent reports indicate that packets of cigarettes are fetching $100 within the prison system. Prisoners, visitors and prison staff have all been caught smuggling and selling tobacco on the prison black market.

Smoking bans appear to have little impact on whether prisoners continue to smoke during incarceration and the long term decision to quit smoking following their release to freedom, thereby bringing into question the health benefits of prohibition

From a human rights perspective, a ban on smoking in prison represents the erosion of yet another freedom to an already disenfranchised group. However, this is likely to appeal to those who favor all punitive measures as part of the punishment spectrum

The only reason I decided to bring this thread up is that at my last meeting at a VA hospital in Philly, many vets who have gone pretty much from a combat situation to a prison situation, brought it up to me-
As the old guy speaker from a different war I guess they expected me to have some answers- I didn't- (except try to get some counseling before you gravitate toward crime)- I'm sure you know how that lame that sounded

Any thoughts?- I'm aware that most of the people on HP are young and do not smoke - but there are some ,and a few old timers that still do-

One guy who had just return from overseas, told me that. many jurisdictions require prisoners to pay for smoking cessation aides such as nicotine replacement therapy—this is an unrealistic expectation - I'm not looking to go the the supreme court here, just looking for some thoughts on what to tell some of these younger people who have many more issues to deal with than nicotine- but tell me that is one thing that they don't need taken away from them-

The solution appears to be a better management of this problem with guarantees that non‐smoker prisoners are not subjected to environmental tobacco smoke in cells, prison transport or communal living areas and that smoker‐prisoners have access to free interventions with proved efficacy. The challenge is likely to be considerable and the responsibility should not be left to prison authorities alone- -

Another 5 AM rant from the Jersey Shore- brought to you commercial free from>
JJack

 

On the fence about that one. I smoke but if I were in prison I'd be happy not to be allowed to, then I could quit easier, lol.

 

I could not care less about the prisons

let them smoke...it kills the people who do it..and it bothers the ones who dont...sounds like a win-win situation to me

 

What BBAd said.

 

"Prisoners rights" is sort of an oxymoron.

Shouldn't be, but basically is.

 

no.. thats just unnecessary

 

Down south they have to grow their own tobacco... or at least they used to 30 years ago. :leaving:

 

maybe they should separate the prisoners into two areas....one where the non-smokers are forced to breathe machine generated second hand smoke ...and another where the smokers are forced to quit and are given fresh air :d

 

Well, we could let prisoners smoke for a few years, and then begin to test radical, new anti-smoking drugs and methods on some of them. On the rest, we do invasive tests and "live examinations" on the direct effects of cigarette smoke and tobacco.

Everyone's happy.

 

County jails in Pennsylvania have all been conditioned to non-smoking..
All Mental Hospitals with Smoking areas(within the building) have been removed.
County inmates can not smoking
Nor can people using county service hospitals for mental illness.

State Prisons can smoke. However, you can not smoke tobacco til you are classified.. You may be classified to a jail that is non smoking . one that has a Drug Rehab and Behavior Modification Units. 9 times out of 10 your state prison in Pennsylvania will be smoking. Only Restricted Housing Unit/ and Death Row inmates can not smoke.

Prisons in Pennsylvania have tired to remove tobacco. Only to have containable riots once products diminished from commissary. Prisons run on inmate power. Inmates refuse to make food for entire prison. There is only enough food for 3-4 days worth of lock-down. This would require outside intervention and other state control of the prison and riot situation. Its much easier to give them tobacco. When the Officers Union wants tobacco in its prisons. Its going to have tobacco.

Psychiatric care sky rockets when nicotine pacifier is removed..

 

You know... Before you start ragging on prisoners and are willing to begin experiments on them... Some of these guys may have been sent up for smoking a joint or having a few buds in their car. (some states are that radical with their pot laws)

 

Oh I was just trying to be provocative.

I would never support that!

 

They've already lost their smoking privileges here!
No sex visits either!

 

I think if the poor buggers want a smoke they should be allowed to smoke.

 

Make em smoke each others fucken poles and think about what they have done

 

give them free pot to keep them calm

 

your evil and should be in prison :2thumbsup:

 

2can play.. cant wait til yalls locked up in a motherfucking jail for something you didnt do.. might change the way ya think..

 

tobacco smoke is a health hazzard, especially second hand smoke. so let them have mary jane instead.

you know, all that being said, tobacco withdrawal is a health hazard too.

punishing someone doesn't rehabilitate them. incarcerating them keeps them off the street.
which is the thing, if they've done something they can't be trusted to be out in public, then of course that's where they need to be.

so tobacco, its become, been for many decades now, a kind of currency in prisons, or if we're to believe what we're told.
i've never been in one myself, and never hope to be.

and its used in there to purchase, or buy one's way out, of all sorts of unpleasant things people do or have done to each other.

so i think taking that mechanism away might be a good thing too.

no one should have to prove anything to not be abused. just kept of the street if they can't be trusted to be allowed loose on it.