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INMATES IN IRISH prisons who are trying to quit smoking will soon have access to electronic cigarettes.
In a recent court case, the barrister for a defendant complained to the judge that the man had been advised for health reasons to stop smoking, but e-cigarettes could not be sent in because of a “procurement problem”.
A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service told TheJournal.ie that these devices are not currently available at present, but their availability does form part of a new smoking policy that is being finalised.
E-cigarettes were last year made available in every prison shop in the UK, ahead of the phased roll-out of a complete ban on smoking in English and Welsh jails. The devices are also available in a number of states in the US, where traditional cigarettes are prohibited in most prisons and jails.
The New York Times reported in 2014 that county sheriffs said there was a reduction in violence in jails after the introduction of e-cigarettes. “The thing I like about it is it controls the guy,” one sheriff said. “We had four or five fights last week. One guy who’d had a fight asked for an e-cigarette and it calmed him down. It’s not meant to help inmates, it’s meant to help my guys.”
Irish inmates do not have a right to smoke in prison, but they can be granted permission to do so by the governor. Even with permission, smoking is restricted to certain areas like the prisoner’s room or outside areas.
“We’re currently looking at testing the device from a security point of view. We have to make sure that it can’t be used to smoke anything other than the vapour,” the prison service spokesperson explained.
They will be made available on a very restricted basis from the tuck shop – so they won’t be able to get people to bring them in for them. It will be an approved device with approved capsules.
They said they expected the new policy to be in place “in the near future”.
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They have more rights and creature comforts than many of the tax payers who are struggling to keep them there.
I’m fairly sure some of our more innovative lags could rig these to explode.
Next thing we will be offering bubble baths and a foot rub.
The biggest con job ever ,trying to convince people that crime doesn’t pay , sadly it pays big time .
remember fg and labour saying they were going to fix our legal system? big LOL
Ah be fair. How are they meant to enjoy watching TV in their cell if they can’t have a drag on their e cigarette
As someone who works in prisons every second week I can tell you they smoke where and when they like. And the Prison Officers will let them as there’s no confrontation and an easier life. Don’t blame them really.
Nothing could possibly go wrong
Why not just have a no smoking policy. Job done.
If you were a prison officer how comfortable would you be with enforcing that? Unfortunately not all lawsa are practicable in all situations and I for one don’t think that prison officers need to be risking their own safety over enforcing something relatively petty.
This is why. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-33358585
I’d be very comfortable enforcing this, I appreciate lack of common sense is a human right these days so not sure what you’re getting at.
Riots because you can’t smoke? Are these prisoners children? If they aren’t clever enough to realise it’s healthier to not smoke then don’t go to prison.
canuckandgo. My concern in not for the inmates but for the Prison Staff. Dealing with volatile and violent convicts is challenging at the best of times. Dealing with them with the added tension from nicotine withdrawal could and most likely would lead to violent confrontations with Staff who being the ones that they would blame. So if them being able to get their nicotine fix from purchasing E-Cigarettes prevents a member of staff being unnecessarily injured, it would a small concession.
Violence because of nicotine withdrawal? Again are they children? Talk about not taking responsibility for your behaviour!!
@canuck, you’re either being stupid, naive or are baiting.
Tony at this stage I would go with Trolling. If they were that much of an imbecile they would be barely able to string a coherent sentence together.
Neither Tony. Best not to scream troll when you can’t put across a valid point to counter. It’s very childish. The equivalent of “I’m going home and taking my ball with me”. Good night.
@canuck, when 3 or more options are offered it is not appropriate to use the word “neither”. Nor indeed is it appropriate to assume that 2 of the proposed options can be ignored in your reply by concentrating on denying only one.
Regardless, your attempt to counter by suggesting a point to be made would be the way to go is moot considering you haven’t made a single valid point in this story.
It’s for that reason that it’s very tempting to narrow down the possibilities to just stupidity. But I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and just narrow it down to baiting and say “hard luck”.
The point is a no smoking policy.
You’re stupid Tony. See my point is valid now that I called you stupid. I don’t have to say anything else now. That’s how you work isn’t it Tony.
Still searching for that last word eh?
This idea will most likely save the taxpayer millions of Euro down the line. Just as prisoners have taken a case against the state because of the “Slopping Out” issue eventually there would be a case about “Passive Smoking” or even that the Prison Service encouraged smoking by making tobacco avaliable to buy by inmates thus endangering them. With this if successful tobacco could be phased out completely leaving smoking inmates with this option.
The major stumbling block here is the fact that they are charged via micro USB, the same connection that charges mobile phones , so essentially supplying a legit phone charger.
Looks like they could be fashioned into a fine shiv
Joe. They can make Shivs out of Prison Toothbrushes that are free. They are not going to spend €20-€30 just to make a shiv.
Isn’t is well for them as the mother of a special needs child desperate for speech and language therapy and waiting on HSE lists for assessments. We couldn’t afford a bag of chips and here they want to give people that broke the law more and more, maybe if I went to prison my child might get all of his needs met.
They aren’t going to pay for the E-Cigarettes they will be available to purchase In shop no? Therefore there not being handed everything to them they still have to buy them. Presumably they make money by signing up to kitchen roles, cleaning duties and so on plus whatever money may be available through families and friends.
Isn’t there enough blowing smoke up the ass practice in the judicial system already
Helps to combat the John Player Blues
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