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| Prison inmates get four-month reprieve from smoking ban |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 06/21/2004 |
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Thanks to prison officers, inmates in Washington have been given a four-month reprieve from a smoking ban. The ban on smoking by inmates and prison staff, most recently scheduled to take effect July 1, was postponed to Nov. 1 under a recently negotiated agreement with Teamsters Local 117, assistant deputy corrections secretary Lynne DeLano said last Monday. At least 17 other states ban smoking in prison. Washington state's prisons have more than 16,400 inmates. The union, which has about 12,000 members - including about 5,000 prison workers - had two concerns with the ban, Teamsters lawyer Spencer Thal said. One was that the safety of officers could be imperiled if inmates turn to violence after being cut off from tobacco, and the other was the difficulty of quitting for officers who are longtime smokers. The agreement includes some changes from the original plan, Thal said, refusing to discuss details until the deal is presented to union members. Thal did say the union would encourage its members to cooperate with the ban, adding that "staff will have broader rights than the inmates." State officials have said the chief purpose of the ban is to cut health care costs. Besides, DeLano has said, "We all know smoking causes cancer." |
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