Queensland Corrective Services to ban smoking by prisoners and guards in jail

[angeleyes]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...d-guards-in-jail/story-fnihsrf2-1226752072271


EDIT: Don't flame, its to do with tobacco and this is a very large thing to happen to the prison system I am sure a lot will agree with me!


THE State Government will ban smoking in jails in its latest crackdown on criminals.

The Sunday Mail can reveal the state's 6000 prisoners will be banned from smoking in all parts of correctional facilities from May 5 next year.


The tobacco ban policy was inadvertently released by the State Government with changes to its prisoner information handbook uploaded to the Queensland Corrective Services website, with confirmation from government officials late yesterday the ban would take place.

The handbook states tobacco will become a prohibited item in all parts of correctional facilities by May 5, placing it in the same category as weapons, explosives, phones, drugs and syringes in jails.


The proposed ban follows a raft of state government laws cracking down on criminals.

Prisoners who smoke will be urged to join smoking cessation programs, which could include nicotine replacement therapy and patches.

The ban will extend to prison guards. "The harmful effects of smoking have been known for a long-time and our hard-working corrections staff deserve to be able to work in a completely smoke-free environment," Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said.

Smoking has been banned in New Zealand and Northern Territory jails, while NSW and Tasmania are set to introduce bans by 2015.

The ACT Government is considering a ban and officials in Western Australia last year also flagged a ban.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said more than 80 per cent of prisoners smoked, despite measures in place to help them quit.

"Prisoners also have worse health and more acute and chronic medical conditions than non-prisoners," he said.

"Given what we know about the impact of smoking on health, the very high rate of smoking of prisoners contributes to significant and ongoing cost burden to the public health system.

"Second-hand smoke is also a significant heath risk for our staff and visitors to prisons."

Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth told The Sunday Mail he feared prisoners would become violent after the ban, and said programs needed to be taken up by all smokers.



I'm calling it now, violence rates are going to escalate.

 

[drug_mentor]

Such a stupid idea honestly, just creating another thing for the gangs and standover men to make money off of in there. I have seen a number of prison documentaries in facilities where smoking is banned, the shit people do to smoke is pretty rank, smuggling in tobacco in fucked up ways and rolling it up in printer paper or pages out of books and smoking it, people actually pay good coin for the garbage too. Creating a black market any where leads to nothing but trouble, doing it inside a prison is asking for disaster.

 

[TheRapperGoneBad]

You gotta be kidding me.. like they really care about those that are incarcerated. This is all about punishment and control if you ask me. And it will obviously instantly become part of the black market people are very addicted to nicotine. Not only is it one of the only releases they have left before you ban it but you expect immates to just stop and abbide by your fucked up rules. Be realistic law makers how much money do you think the prison will lose out on to gang violince and smuggling. Far from worth it in my eyes.

I don't even smoke nor am I locked up but this is just rediculous. These people have already been stripped of every right they have give em a fucking break and let them do with there body as they please.

 

[angeleyes]

There's going to be so many bashings on a daily basis, it's going to be as restricted as syringes and drugs inside a prison! Take away gym time and televisions and shit and then it's truly a prison, every state in Australia is looking to adopt all of this by the end of 2015 (or has shown distinct interest to proceed with this legislation as well) EXCEPT VICTORIA.

 

[kytnism]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...d-guards-in-jail/story-fnihsrf2-1226752072271

THE State Government will ban smoking in jails in its latest crackdown on criminals.

The Sunday Mail can reveal the state's 6000 prisoners will be banned from smoking in all parts of correctional facilities from May 5 next year.


The tobacco ban policy was inadvertently released by the State Government with changes to its prisoner information handbook uploaded to the Queensland Corrective Services website, with confirmation from government officials late yesterday the ban would take place.

The handbook states tobacco will become a prohibited item in all parts of correctional facilities by May 5, placing it in the same category as weapons, explosives, phones, drugs and syringes in jails. (this is a little extremist imo. placing cigarette smoking in the same catagory as weapons and explosives is suggestive that smoking potentiates destruction, whereas in the final sentence of the article mr knuth comments that he fears a rise in levels of violence as a result of the ban).


The proposed ban follows a raft of state government laws cracking down on criminals.

Prisoners who smoke will be urged to join smoking cessation programs, which could include nicotine replacement therapy and patches. (the success rates of nicotine replacement therapy and patches in the general population as a measure of quitting smoking are not great enough to warrant this as a sole management/treatment plan)

The ban will extend to prison guards. "The harmful effects of smoking have been known for a long-time and our hard-working corrections staff deserve to be able to work in a completely smoke-free environment," Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said.

Smoking has been banned in New Zealand and Northern Territory jails, while NSW and Tasmania are set to introduce bans by 2015.

The ACT Government is considering a ban and officials in Western Australia last year also flagged a ban.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said more than 80 per cent of prisoners smoked, despite measures in place to help them quit.

"Prisoners also have worse health and more acute and chronic medical conditions than non-prisoners," he said (there is no mention of what acute and chronic medical conditions the prisoners are suffering from and as a result of what. to put this in the article without any facts that strengthen or suggest these illnesses are a result of prisoners smoking is media sensationalism at its finest)

"Given what we know about the impact of smoking on health, the very high rate of smoking of prisoners contributes to significant and ongoing cost burden to the public health system.

"Second-hand smoke is also a significant heath risk for our staff and visitors to prisons." (create designated smoking areas and bans within public regions of the prison with consequences for non compliance. that is how the government has handled this issue in the general public)

Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth told The Sunday Mail he feared prisoners would become violent after the ban, and said programs needed to be taken up by all smokers.

...kytnism...