Prisoners Protest Smoking Ban

[sinistertopiary]

Joyceville inmates protest smoking ban

Hundreds of federal inmates at Joyceville Institution are refusing to go to their prison jobs or programs in a dispute over smoking.
Corrections Canada says the convicts at the medium-security prison on Hwy. 15 demanded yesterday that they be allowed to smoke outside on prison property, given a recent court decision.
A federal court judge ruled last week that a total ban on smoking inside and outside federal penitentiaries is unreasonable.
Nineteen Quebec inmates went to court over the complete tobacco ban that has been in place at the country's 58 federal prisons since last year.
The prisoners said the smoking ban is physically and psychologically harmful.
"In our democratic society, there has been no general ban on smoking or tobacco in order to protect the health of nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke," Judge Luc Martineau wrote in his judgment.
"The necessary measures to protect non-smokers exposed to secondary smoke in penitentiaries should be the least restrictive possible."
Corrections said the Joyceville inmates were told the complete ban remains in effect while the prison service is appealing the federal court judgment.
There has not been any violence or injuries at Joyceville as a result of the inmate protest, Corrections said.
The prison is otherwise continuing to operate on its usual routine.

One of the commenters of this article seems to have missed the point:

I support the smoking ban in prisons. Good for the staff, and tough luck to the inmates. If you wanted to smoke you shouldn't have done the crime in the first place.

Oh, and Kudos to the federal court judge!

 

[python]

Quote: If you wanted to smoke you shouldn't have done the crime in the first place.

Yeah, because they are not stripping away the right to smoke from law abiding citizens right now are they? Whatever!
I hope this gets overturned. It is a touchy situation because they are criminals, but what the hell is wrong with smoking outside?
When will all of this nanny state BS end?

 

[admin]

On the one hand I guess you could say they are in prison and prison is supposed to be a punishment. It isn't supposed to be nice.
On the other hand, I'd say it's probably a safe bet that they have a lot of other "normal" luxuries, like being able to watch TV, read books, have visitors, talk on the phone, and enjoy some hobbies - maybe painting, wood-working, whatever.
That being the case, then this is just the same crap they do to us supposedly free people - demonize the freedom, luxury and hobby of smoking.