DOJ Banning Smoking in Federal Prisons

[rangerrebew]

- Washington Free Beacon - http://freebeacon.com -



DOJ Banning Smoking in Federal Prisons

Posted By Elizabeth Harrington On December 5, 2014 @ 12:20 pm In Issues | No Comments


The Justice Department (DOJ) is banning smoking and all tobacco products in federal prisons, according to a final regulation to be published Monday.

All federal prison inmates will be prohibited from smoking, unless they receive a religious exemption. Staff will also still be able to smoke in designated areas. The government said they are moving forward with the regulation, which goes into effect in 30 days, out of concerns of the health of their inmates.

The rule will affect the estimated 80 percent of prison inmates that smoke.

“The revised regulations generally prohibit smoking in and on the grounds of Bureau institutions and offices, except as part of an authorized inmate religious activity; and, for Bureau staff and official visitors, only in smoking areas designated by the Warden,” the final rule said. “Possession of smoking apparatus and tobacco in any form is prohibited for inmates under this rule, unless as part of an authorized inmate religious activity.”

“We intend this amendment to promote a clean air environment and to protect the health and safety of staff and inmates,” the DOJ’s Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said.

The government has been working to ban smoking in prisons since 2006, according to the rule.

Several commenters raised concerns about a larger black market due to the ban, and said the rule was unfair since it does not apply to prison guards.

“Banning tobacco products will decrease the safety of staff,” said one commenter. “The price of contraband tobacco will increase, inciting inmate security issues.”

BOP said the rule is not unfair since, “As a practical matter, smoking is a lawful activity for Bureau employees.”

“In the interests of balancing staff morale with institution safety and security, the Director has decided to allow for the possibility of limited opportunities for staff smoking,” they said.

With the new rule, federal prisons join a growing list of where smoking may soon be outlawed. Outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel suggested banning tobacco sales at all military installations, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would like to outlaw tobacco use at every work place in the country, including construction sites, the Capitol building, casinos, airports with smoking rooms, and Major League Baseball.

The religious exemption for prison inmates is likely aimed at Native Americans, who have a history of ceremonial tobacco smoking.

One commenter argued that the regulation would create a “substantial burden” on the “religious exercise of Native Americans,” though the government decided to permit smoking as an “authorized inmate religious activity.”


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[mountaineer]

Just because I didn't want to start a new thread for this story, here's more proof smoking - or smoking bans - will kill you:

   
WVU student critically injured in fall from rooftop
By Sunshine Wiles in News | October 17, 2016 at 11:55AM
WV Metro News

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A WVU student was in critical condition Monday following a fall from a fraternity house roof over the weekend.

According to West Virginia University Police Chief Bob Roberts, Sean Guthrie of Toms River, N.J. fell approximately 20 feet off the gabled roofing on the Kappa Alpha house on North High Street.

Roberts said the fall appears to have been a tragic accident.

Guthrie was reportedly on the roof smoking a cigarette and slipped when trying to re-enter the home through a window.

Roberts met with the family of the industrial engineering major Monday morning and said at that time Guthrie was on life support at Ruby Memorial Hospital.

I hear the young man has been taken off life support and has died.

[rangerrebew]

I once toured Alcatraz in 1973, back when they had tour guides.  We were told, as an example, the food there was as good as any in San Fransicko.  Why?   It was one thing less for the inmates to get hostile and belligerent over.  I've got a feeling the DOJ will pay a price for this nonsense.

[dfwgator]

I once toured Alcatraz in 1973, back when they had tour guides. 

So did the tour guide tell you the story about Machine Gun Kelly?   

[Oceander]

No smoking unless you have a religious exemption.  That's interesting.  It's going to be a caustic mix of sudden converts to the Church of the Lucky Strike and really, really, really pissed-off smokers who are jonesing hard for a smoke.

[bigheadfred]

So did the tour guide tell you the story about Machine Gun Kelly?   

A little bird told me a story about a group of inmates running a tobacco trade in prison. Pulling down $15 K a WEEK. They would laugh about how they became millionaires in prison. And with tobacco being legal all you would face if caught was a sanction. Get caught with drugs and face a new beef.