Posted on 03/02/2008 4:35:27 PM PST by ShadowDancer
Michigan Prisons To Be Tobacco-Free
POSTED: 5:09 pm EST March 2, 2008
LANSING, Mich. -- The Michigan Department of Corrections plans to ban smoking and the use of other tobacco products by prisoners and staff early next year.
State prison officials plan to extend an existing ban on smoking in prison buildings to outdoor property, the Detroit Free Press reported. Smoking cessation programs for inmates and staff are planned.
"It won't happen overnight, but we should see healthier inmates long-term ... and that should translate into some health care savings" for taxpayers, Corrections spokesman Russ Marlan said.
Smoking currently is banned in prison housing units, but inmates and staff are permitted to smoke outside buildings.
About 70 percent of the state's more than 50,000 prisoners are smokers, the newspaper reports, and state officials say they believe the prohibition on tobacco use will improve the health of inmates.
The target date for implementation is Feb. 1, 2009. But the Corrections department says intermediate steps -- including scaling back tobacco sales in prison stores -- are set to begin within weeks.
Mel Grieshaber, executive director of the Michigan Corrections Organization, which represents about 9,000 corrections officers in state prisons, said the rules announced last week are "too rigid."
Grieshaber noted that other state employees, including those who work for the Department of Corrections in Lansing, may smoke outside their buildings.
Inmate Kirk Brown, 37, of Port Huron, who is serving a 6- to 30-year sentence on drug charges, said he has smoked since he was 25. He said he and other prisoners use tobacco to "relieve stress."
"This is a very stressful environment," said Brown, who is housed at the state's prison complex in Jackson.
Oh man, if they do that I bet their customer base will drop.
Perhaps the niccotine fits will cause a shrinking prison population due to violence?
How do inmates escape so they can smoke?
There’s going to be some REAL cranky prisoners...
yes because prisoners deserve cable tv, comfy chairs, plush pillows, steak at every meal etc. It’s their right!
Another fabulously stupid idea put forth by liberals, we all know how successful and prosperous MI is as a State, now we get to watch their crazy prison population go insane!
Kwame wasn’t enough of a fraud? All of those Muslims bringing sharia law isn’t enough?
JEEZ.. these people are actually more intellectually deficient than the voters in Massachusetts. I never thought that was possible. Hoorah for the MORONS that is.
I don’t know, we don’t have gay marriage yet.
Wait till one of them wants one and is told no! This silliness has to stop, when are these morons going to address the real issues?
Yea, and a real increase in prison violence.
They can't keep drugs out of prisons, which are illegal, so why increase their problems by denying prisoners a legal product such as cigarettes?
Its a known fact that prisoners have money accounts so if they want to put an end to drugs and cigarettes, then terminate their accounts.........
The state of Michigan has more problems on their hands than to stop prisoners from smoking.........
What’ll they use for currency?
Soon.. my pet.. soon. Gay marriage wasn’t legislated, the Supreme Court decreed that, we haven’t been allowed to vote on it. The whole deal is actually illegal, just ask Governor “Yes, We Can” Free em all Duval. Gov. Telletubbie is the. ObaMassiah’ mentor.
Let’s see, the state is circling the commode with a corrupt Canadian socialist Governor, unemployment remains over 7%, younger and educated people are fleeing in droves, and everywhere you go there’s a foreclosure sign on an abandoned house. But let’s prevent prisoners from smoking, because by all means they need to be healthy so they could inflict more costs onto the state’s medical system when they get older.
“The state of Michigan has more problems on their hands than to stop prisoners from smoking...”
Perhaps they are trying for the small successes since they’ve screwed everything else up.
Who cares what they do to convicts? When they’re not being raped they should be suffering all kinds of deprivations. Bastards.
Good luck to whomever control the riots. Uh, that’s rioting among the guards, who won’t be able to smoke either.
“yes because prisoners deserve cable tv, comfy chairs, plush pillows, steak at every meal etc. It’s their right!”
You give them that stuff when they behave, and take it away when they screw up.
How else do you control a prisoner for 20, 30... 50 years?
Wouldn’t it reduce prison operating costs to let them smoke?
“Who cares what they do to convicts? When they’re not being raped they should be suffering all kinds of deprivations. Bastards.”
Uh, didn’t Jesus once comment that people who did a deed “in their heart” were just as bad as those who actually did it?
And, if you’re wishing this for the prisoners....??? ??? ???
No, just trying to show off my conservative bona fides.
Really?
Like the guy who dove drunk twice, never hit anyone, and got sentenced?
He should be getting raped?
You think so?
How about the guy who bought an ounce of pot?
Rape him too?
Really?
It’s about damn time. Next they should make them weightroom-free, TV-room-free, pornography-free, etc.
Bottom line, our prisons aren't filled with just the hardcore violent people and they will have learned their lessons. They deserve incarceration, yes, but they don't deserve the violence that does occur in the prison environment.....
Our local county jail (avg. 120 inmates) has been smoke free for several years now. Once released, they say they don’t want to come back. Has something to do with freedoms you get on the outside.
“yes because prisoners deserve cable tv, comfy chairs, plush pillows, steak at every meal etc. It’s their right!”
Sickening, isn’t it? Made much worse because WE have to PAY for it!
well if they can’t behave without cigs then they haven’t really changed
rape? or is it just pleasurable sex between two consenting adults
anything that makes life harder for prisoners is something this conservative supports.
However, if you are NOT a prisoner then cigarettes should NOT be banned.
huh? Perhaps you mis-understand my biting sarcasm.
See post 22.
“It won’t happen overnight, but we should see healthier inmates long-term ... and that should translate into some health care savings” for taxpayers, Corrections spokesman Russ Marlan said.”
Doesn’t the state collect a tax on all those prison smokes? Raising the tax on prison smokes seems like a better idea than this crap. It makes me think I should write them a letter saying “Thank you too much!”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.