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All Florida Prisions To Ban Tobacco Use In Six Months
March 15, 2011
All Florida Department of Corrections facilities will be tobacco-free in six months — including a ban on inmate smoking.
“Inmate smoking and second-hand smoking is costing millions in healthcare costs each year,” said Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Edwin Buss. “Eliminating smoking is a win for taxpayers, but it’s also a win for employees and inmates, making our facilities healthier places to work and live in, and making them a little safer too.”
Smoking bans have long been in place in all of Florida’s public buildings and offices, over half of the state prisons in the US already have similar bans, and since 2004, all of the prisons in the Federal Prison system have banned smoking on prison grounds.
In the past year, inmates hospitalized for tobacco - related illnesses have cost Florida taxpayers nearly 9 million dollars, Buss said, and snuffing out cigarettes will also result in cleaner prisons and by removing lighters, reduce the chance of arson.
The Department is giving 180 days notice to inmates and will offer smoking cessation assistance to inmates requesting help. Designated smoking areas will be set up for employees outside the prison fence.
Pictured: A guard tower at Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
30 Responses to “All Florida Prisions To Ban Tobacco Use In Six Months”
“Inmates don’t have rights in Prison”, really. We have a justice system in place that says that they do have rights and that also administers their punishment. How dare any of you to decide to be judge and jury on another person because they have committed crimes in their life. We all have done something that under the wrong circumstances could have gotten us behind somebody’s bars, even if only for a short amount of time. We are are all human beings and therefore have certain rights afforded to us. Treating prisoners as less than human or deciding to take the law in your own hands (outside of your officer authority) only compounds the lack of trust and faith that people have in the justice system as a whole.
I am not sure that Mr. Buss is looking at more than a just small slice of the financial picture.
His premise is that smoking increases prison health-care costs. He cites that smoking “related” health care (whatever that means) costs the taxpayers around $9 Million a year. That may be true.
However, health care problems due to smoking are not acute, they’re chronic due to a long-term smoking. These problems don’t just pop up over night & stopping tobacco use will not end the healthcare problems (and cost) over night. The damage is already done in a lot of cases.
And what of the “cost of change” and change management? Lots of good sounding ideas have a lot of hidden costs that show up after the new idea has been implemented.
The whole thing doesn’t sound quite right to me.
this sounds all fine and dandy but who is gonna come in and help us officers try and control this mess. i am a wife of an officer and an officer myself and things are pretty anruly right now because we have a shortage of staff every day . i have seen people who have tried to stop smoking and it is not a pretty sight. throw in the mix a convict who has most of his life to spend in prison and it spells trouble. do you really think he cares about out safety???? not a chance!! alot of the inmates can turn violent at any time. they will kill each over something as stupid as a pack of ramen noddles. i have seen if happen!!! we still have to walk and work among them and most of the time by ourselfs. most of you are doing some mighty big talking but if you walked in our shoes for one day you would be singing a different tune and it would probaly have “get me out of here” somewhere in your song!!! the gov is trying to win the voters over and this makes him a winner to alot of you by the looks of it but did he ever stop and consider the consequences. oh and by the way neither one of us are smokers…if your wondering
so you’re saying this will make prison less desirable?
somebodys gonna get there head knocked off smoking is the only thing the inmates had left after there freedom got taken away
I sure don’t agree to pay for these heathens to help them quit smoking.
I didn’t have anything to do with them starting. I don’t pay for anyone else
to stop why would I want to pay for criminals. Who cares if it is easy for them.
I agree with ‘prison reform’ except i would add child molesters to number 1.
And yes, this is a great idea to remove tobacco from prisons, like ’smarty pants’ said, they are being punished! They should feel like they’re being punished…how else are you going to learn from your mistakes?!
And ‘DOC’ regarding your comment, “How would you feel if someone came up to you and told you to quit smoking?” Are you serious?! Smoke til your lungs become aflame for all ‘they’ care…we are talking about PRISONERS here! People who have committed CRIMES and are being PUNISHED! Yes, take away their tobacco, only feed them enough to survive and make it as uncomfortable as possible!!!! They should have absolutely ZERO priviledges while in prison.
And to ‘Wondering’ – I personally do not believe they should take away priviledges from the officers…after all, they work for the prison, not a prisoner themselves. And as far as RIGHTS are concerned for the prisoners…I think those particular ‘rights’ don’t apply while in prison
‘perfect – nuff said
I sure would hate to be a guard that first couple of weeks. Some people on here are so self righteous. I think they should let them smoke pot; mellow them all out. Less tension and fighting for everyone.
Don’t think it’s a good idea to take smoking away from the inmates. There will be severe retaliation if they do. No I don’t smoke but I have witnessed people who do that tried to quit and the frustration was terrible. The lack of smoking when your addicted to it is terrible and people get angry when they can’t. Just don’t think it to be a good idea. So the employees can go outside the fence and smoke then come back in to work with the smell all over them. Do you think this is not going to send someone over the edge that is wanting a cig and can not get it. Just saying that does not make sense.
So far as the health care cost going up I’m sure it has but I do not think you can lay it all on smoking. How about all the other factors that go into the underwriting of the policies? It is easy to paint a picture of what you want until someone sits down and begins peeling back the layers of the paint to see where it is all coming from. Then you find very interesting things for sure.
MR.buss i am a parent i have a daughter thats incarcerated i send her money ever month yall say that yall pay ever inmates medical bills but yall dont i dont think that yall should take away the inmates smokeing priveliges they pay for their own medical bills.
Healthier prisoners live longer. Lord knows we would not want them to die before their sentence is up.
To neighbor,
It gets old when people talk about things they don’t know about. You saying they don’t need air conditioning is like someone making the statement that they receive cable tv. They DONT get air conditioning and they DONT get cable tv. Smoking is dangerous and I don’t do tobacco products but if you have ever meet someone who has been addicted to tobacco their whole lives and try and just give them up, you know how they get mean, moody, and in the case of violent offenders violent. You are talking about inmates serving life or very long sentences that do not get to smoke anymore, yeah I am sure that isn’t going to be dangerous. Don’t forget that in county, they are only there till they receive their sentence or are serving up to one year in jail, not 10, 15, 20 or more years! Think that you can be putting the lives of officers and inmates at risk just due to the withdrawls and violent behavior of quiting. By the way, the state makes money off tobacco sales in the prison and wouldn’t the cost of assaults to staff and inmates in prison due to this cost money too? Like someone already commented, on the outside you get medicare anyway. If someone knows the risk of tobacco products but still continue to use them, they will find out what the consequences are. After all, aren’t they paying for them anyway? The state doesn’t furnish cigs or dip, but now they will foot the cost of smoking cessation assistance??? Wow what a great idea! Yet another way to put Florida more into debt. Way to go with the great ideas and keep em coming:)
I think this would be a terrible thing, not do to the inmates wanting them to have privliges but it can cause alot more fights, roits, and officwers crossing the line to make a little more pocket change. On top of that placing a designated smoking section outside the gates for the offices not cool why do it infront of the inmates wait till you get off the grounds completely. Many inmates are up there yes and dont care but yes there are a handful that has straightened out and living a productive life. Dont hate on them all some did crimes when they were young and just could not do the probation time and thats why they are in there. You never know when the tables could be turned on you. My husband has a great job and has adopted my children and on top of that the judge who sentenced him to prison is the one who gave him the rights back to adopt our children. (my ex husband in a state trooper) go figure that out. The judge informed my new husband he is happy he is leading a productive life and that he was more or a man than my ex . Always keep your eyes and ears open for the good in all people dont ban smoking from the institutions for anyone.
It is a Prison, lock them up 23 hrs. a day and no t.v. no newspapers and no cigarettes. Make prison punishment and you will cut down on repeat offenders. I’m so tired of hearing about convicted felons rights. As far as I’m concerned they gave up their rights when they were convicted…
I think this is a great idea, consider this a blessing if they one day get out and llive healthier lives, but in the mean time they don’t NEED the cigarettes nor do they NEED airconditioning or TV or the list goes on.
They NEED food and clothing.
Shelter is a plus and to keep them busy give them a open access library stocked with educational books (if they can’t read then teach them them how) and the opportunity to attend classes and further their education.Money saved on the power bill would pay the teachers.
If they aren’t interested in that let them grow a garden or anything that is productive.
Quitting smoking, good. Tax payers paying for the price of inmate cessation, bad.
So, you going to help out the officers who might want help? The officers are the ones who deserve it. I personnally would accept helping the officers before the inmates.
Who cares what prisoners do??
I agree that they don’t need privileges or anything special, but who cares if they smoke. They are not in prison to enter a smoking cessation course. If their family is buying and bringing in the cigarettes, so be it. They receive health care the same as if they were a free citizen on medicaid, taxpayers are still paying for it. The one difference is that some of the free citizens on medicaid could actually have a job and work for their health insurance.
I agree with ‘prison reform’ except i would add child molesters to number 1.
And yes, this is a great idea to remove tobacco from prisons, like ’smarty pants’ said, they are being punished! They should feel like they’re being punished…how else are you going to learn from your mistakes?!
And ‘DOC’ regarding your comment, “How would you feel if someone came up to you and told you to quit smoking?” Are you serious?! Smoke til your lungs become aflame for all ‘they’ care…we are talking about PRISONERS here! People who have committed CRIMES and are being PUNISHED! Yes, take away their tobacco, only feed them enough to survive and make it as uncomfortable as possible!!!! They should have absolutely ZERO priviledges while in prison.
And to ‘Wondering’ – I personally do not believe they should take away priviledges from the officers…after all, they work for the prison, not a prisoner themselves. And as far as RIGHTS are concerned for the prisoners…I think those particular ‘rights’ don’t apply while in prison. I don’t know of one that requires them to be allowed to have tobacco.
Does anyone think the prisoners are concerned about their caloric intake or the amount of fat in their supper? Is there any study with real stats to prove smoking is the reason for higher health care cost for prisoners? Most of us not in prison have seen higher health care cost and it’s not smoking making the rates rise. Do they qualify a person who may have an open wound that may have been caused by a sharp object but the patient smokes a ’smoking disease’?
If they can make drugs inside, they will make smokes.
Does anyone, in any position of authority, have one ounce of common sense anymore?
1. Execute all convicted murders and rapist.
2. Enact an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth policy.
3. Once someone is clearly convicted, make their punishment swift as is fitting.
(sometimes a good public beating may be a quick and effective punishment).
4. If a convicted criminal must be detained for a long period, make him work to support himself, if possible.
5. Use jails almost exclusively to detain those arrested for a crime but not convicted.
6. Stop arresting people for “insignificant” amounts of illegal drugs but make the sentence of a convicted criminal much harsher if he committed the crime under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
YES, they should have done this in the beginning. Also need eliminate the junk food they purchase in the commisary. Only carry health and sanitary items they wish to purchase. The state feeds, clothes, shelters, and covers health problems FREE of charge. Anything they do that increases their health risk should GO AWAY.
Many Guards will become richer overnight. Drugs are rampant in the FDOC now. It is the guards who take the risk and make the cash to bring it in. Tobacco is a legal substance and if a guard “forgets” to remove it from his/her person before coming inside the wire… “Darn it was just a mistake, buddy!” And tobacco will go for $20 or more, a pack inside.
If you look at the other systems where these bans have been introduced you will find the guards make the cash for the stash, and only some do not get to smoke. The system loses money from profits made from the sales, and taxes and added security procedures.
“T on March 15th” is correct and I agree totally.
You don’t get to smoke in county, so why should you get to smoke in prison? I like what “smarty pants” had to say. There should be consequences for bad behavior. Smoking is a luxury (even though it’s bad for your health). As far as inmates starting riots because of the ban..They are in prison for a reason. It’s prison! Throw ‘em in the tank. Why should we let criminals run up medical bills due to smoking? Hello…millions of tax dollars every year!! Not removing tobacco due to fear of riots seems silly to me. If we didn’t punish them out of fear of what’s to come, they wouldn’t be in prison in the first place. They’d still be in society endangering your family and mine too.
That should have been “after the shock of quitting” not Until – sorry, it’s early…
Until they get over the shock of quitting the riots will calm and all will be better. I applaud the idea.
However, “Designated smoking areas will be set up for employees outside the prison fence.” Is the state paying for some or all of these employees health insurance? Wouldn’t it be prudent to call this “designated smoking area” home? After all, if we are trying to save money, let’s save it across the board. The riot are going to come when the prisoners smell the smoke on the guards and drives them into a frenzy.
Can you say “”"”" RIOT “”"”" because that is whats going to happen… you have people in there 20’s & 30’s that are lifers and you are going to tell them they can’t smoke??? I don’t think so…….. think about it how would you feel is somebody come up and told you, you couldn’t smoke anymore…..
If we require the inmates to stop smoking, should we not also require the officers to quick smoking. A comment from the above report.”Designated smoking areas will be set up for employees outside the prison fence”. Not a good idea because the comment from inmates will be that they are having rights taken from them that are still allowed to the officers.
Stop smoking for the whole sight.
Just wondering……….
Wow…what a concept….actually punishing someone for their crime.
Not a good idea. Make prisons safer? This enviroment is already filled with tension, violence can break out at any moment for almost any reason. Take away the cigarettes and violence will increase. They are already going to cut funding for prisons why make the guards job even more dangerous. Doesn’t make sense. No I don’t smoke. No I don’t believe in coddleing inmates but this seems like a common sense issue to me. Poll the C.O.s I guarentee they would agree.
A great idea!