Riot breaks out at Metropolitan Remand Centre at Ravenhall (Australia - cigarette ban)

news.com.au ^ | 30th June 2015 | ANTHONY DOWSLEY, REBEKAH CAVANAGH

[naturalman1975]

A RIOT has broken out at the Metropolitan Remand Centre at Ravenhall in Melbourne’s west.

The riot comes as a smoking ban was enforced today.

Men in balaclavas carrying weapons have taken to yards and firefighters are en route to the high security prison to put out small blazes.

Prison staff have been evacuated.

It’s understood the nearby Port Phillip Prison has also been put into lockdown.

CPSU acting secretary Catherine Davies said riots broke out at the jail after lunch.

“There’s a riot going on right now,” she said. “All staff have been evacuated.”

Ms Davies said she was awaiting to hear more information about the action.

Cigarettes and tobacco will be outlawed in the state’s 14 prison facilities from tomorrow.

[kingu]

I wonder if prisons there are filled with personal TVs and whatnot as well. Authorities might be able to regain control by simply cutting the cable.

[naturalman1975]

Not sure about this one, as it is a remand prison, meaning it only holds people awaiting trial rather than long term prisoners, and so there’s less opportunity and reason for prisoners to gather personal possessions - but most Australian prisons are pretty comfortable environments, as these things go.

The real concern is this spreading to other prisons - the major maximum security prison in the state is just next door, housing some very nasty people.

[Steely Tom]

I would imagine that a no-smokes policy might have an adverse effect on certain aspects of the ecology of the intra-prison economy, if you know what I mean.

Cause certain investments to lose value, so to speak.

[GeronL]

The prisoners are probably better armed, they would be in South America

[FredZarguna]

There's a riot goin' on

Johnny Winter tells the story.

[A Navy Vet]

"The riot comes as a smoking ban was enforced today."

That is just damn ass stupid. While I don't agree with the many privileges afforded to criminals in so many penal systems, commonsense says let them have some vice to distract them and occupy their time besides "sticking" each other. This is just idiotic.

[MacMattico]

I laugh only because I was at a restaurant today, a national chain, and what I thought was a riot was breaking out in the kitchen. The new manager decided when I was dining to instigate a “no smoke break” policy because she had quit smoking. I guess your dishwashers and cooks are still pretty big into smoking around here! My waitress was embarrassed but when she told me what it was about I said at least some one is fighting for something that's being taken away! And I've never smoked...ok in 10th grade a little!