Is This Ban On Smoking Six Years Too Late?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287267/Riot-fears-cigarettes-set-banned-prisons-England-Wales-amid-compensation.html

[lcg]

it won't lead to riots. i did my thesis on the ban in mental hospitals, and the upshot is:
*people (smokers) get angry initially
*staff expect more problems than actually arise
*more people use stuff to give up smoking
*they will probably have a designated smoking area anyway
*it is just one more rule to enforce; and
*some will continue to smoke despite the ban.

(and it took me 20,000 words to find that out!) x

[pusskin]

I think they'll change their minds with this law when they results of banning smoking in their cells. Can see loads of trouble ahead coming their way.
Bet it all gets squashed.

[nailit]

Im looking at a prison sentence in a few weeks, hope the ban doesnt come into force before then...

[Ronnie10]

Lcg with not enough staff and funds available to the prison service as it is do you really think that they will be able to build a designated smoking area in each wing and then be able to spare officers that are need elsewhere to be able to keep watch over these prisoners?

There will be mayhem when it happens mark my words.

[nailit]

if prisoners are confined to smoking in their cells, whats the problem? Prison officers dont share their cells with them.

[lcg]

did i say they would build anything or have to police it? what actually will happen is prisoners will only be allowed to smoke outside - the whole purpose of the ban in the first place. have some common sense.

[Orderlimit]

Nailet, this will drag on for a year or so,, so you would have had to committed say 6 armed robberies or 20 house burglaries to be of any concern to you

[emmie]

sarcasm what a rare event, i don't give a damn if they smoke or not, however one assumes that prisons have areas where one can smoke, if they currently can smoke in the cells, i would have thought that puts the prisoner and anyone else at risk.. and not just from passive smoking.

[DTCwordfan]

no smoking = no matches = less exposure to deliberate fires.

[lcg]

or accidental ones......

[emmie]

no cigarettes, no lighters, but riots instead...

[Prudie]

Some of you non-smokers seem to think smoking is a fun pastime we choose to do that we could stop tomorrow when in fact it's an addiction that is very hard to kick. Obviously people are sent to prison to learn a lesson (?) but enforcing this ban would actually cause considerable suffering. Take women in prison for example, 80% are there for non-violent offences, drugs and debt mainly and a high proportion smoke. I'd find it devastating if I was in prison and couldn't even smoke. I see no reason why smoking areas shouldn't be provided.

[emmie]

me neither, having assumed that they already did.

[Ronnie10]

"what actually will happen is prisoners will only be allowed to smoke outside"

This makes no sense whatsoever, so the prisoners will have tobacco/cigs and lighters and will only light up when they go outside which in many prisons is a rare thing? What's to stop them lighting up in their cells?

[lcg]

has anybody read my post? there will not be any riots, just annoyed clucking prisoners. i researched this extensively for 2 years about hospitals, prisons and other institutions all over the world. see above for the actual outcome. smoking will be banned because of the threat of litigation from prison officers.the prisoners will essentially lump it.

[lcg]

ronnie.....they will probably not be allowed access to their ciggies until outside. as someone who polices smoking in an institution.....it's really not that difficult.

[Ronnie10]

"I see no reason why smoking areas shouldn't be provided."

Because there aren't enough funds to build a smoking area or to pay for extra staff and security for these places as the prison system is already dangerously overstretched.

[lcg]

the smoking areas are already there.....the yards outside. dear god, i give up.

[Ronnie10]

"ronnie.....they will probably not be allowed access to their ciggies until outside. as someone who polices smoking in an institution.....it's really not that difficult. "

What a ridiculous idea, do you think the prison service will have enough time as well as storage facilities and the resources to be able to take everyones smoking items, tag and document it each time it goes out and comes back in etc..?

[Ronnie10]

Lcg, when it's raining or there are lack of prison staff the prisoners remain on lock down, what would you do to a prison of angry prisoners who want to feed their addiction?