Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=10&u=/nm/20040928/od_nm/smoking_dc

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites), who set up a tent outside his smoke-free state office to accommodate his taste for a good cigar, signed a bill barring tobacco from state prisons.



The measure, signed Monday, amends the state's penal code to bar tobacco products from prisons and youth correctional facilities. Violators are subject to a fine.

Supporters say the changes will help save the state money on health care and improve the health of 160,000 state inmates. Some parts California's criminal justice system such as county jails have already banned smoking.

The state generated about $1 million in tobacco taxes and $370,000 in sales taxes by selling tobacco products to inmates last year.

Bill sponsor Tim Leslie, a Republican assemblyman, estimates that about half of California prisoners smoke, costing $280 million in related health care costs.

not the first state. hope it gets enforced (referring to the smuggling and wardens/guard just not caring). short term medical to whene the idoit inmates of smoke may be a tad high, but it'll be better in the long run.

"Smohking iz bahd for you, you bahd guyz. Ah promize naht to take your gymnazium equipment away. Den you could look like me, wissout da tattoos."

Your jail band smoking about 12 years ago. We had a lot of problems the first week with inmate behavior, but they got over it.

Now we have more people smuggling cigarettes than drugs.

Now we have more people smuggling cigarettes than drugs. Weird, I thought they do let inmates smoke cigarettes. Weird. Maybe the other inmates who are non-smokers complain?

....Bill sponsor Tim Leslie, a Republican assemblyman, estimates that about half of California prisoners smoke, costing $280 million in related health care costs.


That right there is good enough reason for me, especially considering imates get all the free medical care they want.

I didn't know they got to smoke inside. I would have thought they could claim insurance or fire law reasons.

Hey where's the ACLU and their lawsuit against the state of California claiming they are violating a prisoner's civil rights?

It's also a health issue for the staff. You have people retiring out of Corrections who develop respitory diseases from spending 20-30 years in rooms so smoke-filled that it's a visible haze in the air. .

I know a Deputy that does not smoke and was told his lungs look like he had been smoking a pack a day for years.

Weird, I thought they do let inmates smoke cigarettes. Weird. Maybe the other inmates who are non-smokers complain?

???????????????? :confused:

Read the line above the one you quoted.

It's also a health issue for the staff. You have people retiring out of Corrections who develop respitory diseases from spending 20-30 years in rooms so smoke-filled that it's a visible haze in the air.

I am very excited about this since I am a non-smoker and almost through the CA DOC hiring process.