No More Butts Behind Bars: Smoking Will Be Banned in Florida Prisons

By Michael Cohen Tue., Mar. 15 2011 at 3:38 PM

Even though drug laws haven't stopped illicit substance abuse in prisons, Florida's new prison chief hopes that banning cigarettes will keep inmates from smoking. Prisoners have six months to kick the habit before cigarettes go from currency to contraband, according to the state Department of Corrections. DOC officials said that treating inmates for tobacco-related illnesses cost taxpayers almost $9 million in the past year.

"Eliminating smoking is a win for taxpayers, but it's also a win for employees and inmates, making our facilities healthier places to work and live in, and making them a little safer too," DOC secretary Edwin Buss said in a press release.

Buss claimed that removing lighters will help make prisons safer by reducing the chance of arson. Designated smoking areas will be set up outside the prisons for employees and smoking cessation assistance will be offered for inmates.

More than half of U.S. states have already banned smoking in their prisons, according to a report in USA Today last year.

Of course, it's not always a smooth transition. When Georgia first implemented a smoking ban in 1995, about 150 inmates at the Lee Correctional Institution staged a protest and refused work, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. In July 2005, California banned tobacco in its prisons and sparked a black market, which drove the price of a pack of smokes as high as $125.

With cigarettes as contraband, however, it remains unclear how an inmate will be penalized for the new infraction. This reminds me of a New York case, in which smoking a marijuana joint cost a prisoner five extra years and taxpayers about $250,000.

Follow The Juice on Twitter: @TheJuiceBPB.

Tags:

prisons, smoking, tobacco

We Recommend

Cynt1113

well, christopher you dumb sh*t..the majority of officers smoke as well and if you do your research you will see that the officers will still be allowed to smoke in designated areas for the staff. you already have pissed off prisoners why make things worse. You are talking about a group of people who can't even take a dump in private....it is a power thing for the staff and state not a health care thing. this is ridiculous and just another thing for the state to control...it will start in the prisons and then to the public...you just wait..

Robert Baldwin

thats bull shit.that will start a riot in prison.fuck it.i disagree

Christopher R Weiss

Prisoners smoke more because they are bored, and this has consequences. It is also a health hazard to the prison staff. Since a prisoner is on the public dole for health services while in a cell, and prison staff are on public health plans, allowing prisoners to smoke costs every taxpayer more money.

This is a prudent cost controlling activity regardless of whether this is considered more punishment or not.

virginia

Great they can catch them smuggling cigaretts then keep them longer for their defiant behavior . Its not like they care about the proisoners health they will not even take them to the Dr. unless they are dieing so why make things worse. You don't pass that law on the general public why the prisoners. Have you not taken enough from them already to punish them. And make no mistake it is punishment not correction .