C.A.G.E. / 2CL / MYCHOICE FORUMS

PRISON SMOKING: Inmates at Joyceville Penitentiary continue their work stoppage -- as they fight for the right to smoke outdoors.
October 30, 2009
SINCE EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING, ALL INMATES AT JOYCEVILLE INSTITUTION HAVE REFUSED TO GO TO WORK OR ATTEND THEIR PROGRAMS.
THE MOVE FOLLOWS THE RULING OF A QUEBEC JUDGE THAT SAYS THE LAW BANNING TOBACCO AT FEDERAL PRISONS IS "UNREASONABLE."
HOLLY KNOWLES "INMATES ARE ESSENTIALLY SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN PURCHASING TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND BEGIN SMOKING OUT DOORS."
BUT THAT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN ANY TIME SOON.
THE RENEWED SMOKING DEBATE WAS SPARKED LAST WEEK WHEN A GROUP OF QUEBEC INMATES LAUNCHED AN APPEAL.
A FEDERAL COURT JUDGE AGREED TO LIFT THE NO-SMOKING BAN.
BUT THE RULING DOESN'T COME INTO EFFECT FOR 90 DAYS.
AND DURING THAT TIME, CORRECTIONS CANADA IS EXPECTED TO APPEAL THE JUDGE'S DECISION.
AND IT WILL DO SO WITH THE BLESSING OF THE GUARDS UNION WHICH SEES IT AS A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE.
STEWART "THE BAN ON TOBACCO MEANS THERE IS VERY LITTLE GETTING IN NOW.
OBVIOUSLY BY SMUGGLING...ILLEGAL CONTRABAND.
AND THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE INSTITUTIONS ACROSS CANADA IS MUCH CLEANER.
THE AIR IS AS CLEAN AS IT EVER HAS BEEN IN FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS."
AND THAT CLEAN AIR MAKES IT MUCH EASIER TO FIND INMATES WHO ARE BREAKING THE LAW BY SMOKING.
IN 2006, THE GOVERNMENT FORCED INMATES AND STAFF TO BUTT OUT WHILE INSIDE PRISON BUILDINGS.
AT THAT TIME, IT WASN'T ILLEGAL TO POSSESS TOBACCO OR SMOKE OUTDOORS.
STEWART "NO ONE RESPECTED THAT INDOOR SMOKING BAN AND THE AIR WAS JUST AS BLUE AS IT WAS BEFORE 2006."
SO IN MAY OF LAST YEAR, OTTAWA EXTENDED THE BAN TO INCLUDE PIRSON GROUNDS -- INSIDE AND OUT.
SINCE THEN, THE PRICE OF CONTRABAND CIGARETTES HAS JUMPED DRAMATICALLY.
A PACK NOW SELLS FOR AS MUCH AS 5 HUNDRED DOLLARS AMONG THE INMATE POPULATION.
THE GUARDS UNION SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN NO DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE AS A RESULT OF THE TOTAL BAN.
BUT MANY WONDER IF INMATES AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS WILL FOLLOW THEIR COUNTERPARTS AT JOYCEVILLE AND JOIN THE PROTEST.
HOLLY"THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICE OF CANADA IS PREPARING FOR THAT POSSIBILITY.
HOWEVER, CURRENTLY IT'S JUST JOYCEVILLE INSTITUTION THAT IS INVOLVED IN A WORK REFUSAL."
CURRENTLY CORRECTIONS CANADA IS WORKING WITH AN INMATE COMMITTEE AT JOYCEVILLE TO TRY AND GET PRISONERS BACK TO WORK.
THEY SAY THE PROTEST HAS BEEN PEACEFUL AND THE INSTITUTION IS OPERATING UNDER A "NORMAL ROUTINE"
STU HAY CKWS NEWSWATCH KINGSTON.
INMATES AT JOYCEVILLE PENITENTIARY CONTINUE THEIR WORK STOPPAGE -- AS THEY FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO SMOKE OUTDOORS.
CORRECTIONS CANADA SAYS IT'S BEEN A PEACEFUL PROTEST SO FAR, BUT THEY WORRY INMATES FROM OTHER PRISONS MAY SOON JOIN THE FIGHT.
THE INMATE PROTEST WAS SPARKED AFTER INMATES IN QUEBEC CHALLENGED THE SMOKING BAN IN COURT.
THE DETAILS FROM NEWSWATCH'S STU HAY
http://www.ckwstv.com/index.cfm?page=news&id=1385

Prisoners protest smoking ban at Kingston prison

KINGSTON – There has been a protest by inmates at a Kingston-area prison over access to cigarettes.

Prisoners at the medium-security Joyceville Institution northeast of the city refused to report for work and correctional programs Thursday morning because they wanted to buy tobacco and be able to smoke outside.

That was a result of the recent Federal Court decision to lift the smoking ban in federal institutions.

However, Joyceville's management team advised the Inmate Committee the court has provided for a period of review, and the Correctional Service of Canada will appeal the court ruling.

It says that means all smoking ban-related regulations and possession of smoking-related items will remain in effect in all federal prisons across Canada.

There were no injuries to staff or inmates as a result of the work refusal, and except for the prisoners action, Joyceville is operating on a normal routine.

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/art ... ton-prison

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."

http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2153645

smoker bans will never be won on a constitutional issue, we MUST debunk the junk in court!!

I agree Rob, but we have to take steps to get there first. Gradually but surely wear down their science, and realize that taking away their ability to take away peoples right to property (home bans, cars) we are making them lose their lustre with politicians.

If we do this the gov't will actually start to think of us; not just pass legislation to say they passed something. A good example of useless legislation is the flavour ban, that doesn't do anything for the 98% of the flavouring market (menthol), and allows the gov't to "approve" flavourings at any point in time. We spent tax money & legislative time on a piece of legislation that does nothing, except allow Anti smokers to say they passed their version of "effective" legislation later on. Watch for studies to be in the works to "prove" kids no longer smoke banana cigars while on the sidewalk in front of school.

There was also their "great" victory on cigarette labeling.They wasted what? hundreds of millions of $ over the years on this.There were lost class action lawsuits,PSFC suing and losing to the Competition Bureau (& having the gall to appeal) etc. And all for what? Nothings changed,except a minor name change that the tobacco cos. did to stop the frivolous lawsuits.

Then there is allowing the FDA to regulate tobacco,even though the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled against this.(unconstitutional-2000 iirc) This can really only be seen as a tobacco co. bill.(written & sponsored by Philip Morris) This is just a means to sell more tobacco.If say you cut nicotine content by half,then smokers will buy twice as many cigarettes to compensate.I have a link somewhere to a American Council on Science & Health article that notes this.However,due to fatigue I suppose,I ended up at an American Cancer Society article.So to go ot on myself (& in the middle of a paragraph to boot ) I think you'll be interested in it.Especially this part;
1997 The first overall downturn in cancer mortality rates is documented (source: NCI)
Overall cancer death rates fell 1.6% between 1991-95.
Lung cancer for men fell 6.7% between 1991-95.
Colorectal cancer fell 18.6% between 1973-93 and 5.4% between 1991-95.
Breast cancer fell 6.3% between 1991-95.
Prostate cancer fell 6.2% between 1991-95.
Testicular cancer fell 65.7% between 1973-93.
Hodgkin's disease fell 58.4% between 1973-93.
Leukemia in children dropped 52.9% between 1973-93.
Cancers in children (up to age 14) fell 44.4% between 1973-93.
http://tinyurl.com/y9mghjx