Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for December 21, 2007 PRISON BREAK

Awww, they did it, now they're gonna get it!

The government has now officially gone too far!

Take cigarettes away from prisoners???

Gotta be a violation of the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which bans...NOT smoking...but cruel and unusual punishment! You lock me up AND won't even let me step outside to smoke?! There will be hell to pay!

Smoking Ban to Affect Prisons Too

By: Lisa Liszewski

INA -- The new Illinois Smoking Ban affects more than just restaurants and bars. Prison employees, visitors, and inmates will not be able to smoke cigarettes starting in January.

Derek Schnapp, a spokesman with the Illinois Department of Corrections, says he expects complaints, especially from prison employees who aren't allowed to leave during their shifts. Instead, they'll have to smoke after work hours.

Schnapp says there are many workers that support the new law, however.

" I think there's a lot of employees that are for it," he said. "The bottom line is we're going to follow the law."

Jeff Gill, a correctional officer at Big Muddy in Ina, started a website more than a year ago to get tobacco banned in prisons.

"We actually for a while there had an online petition drive and we sent these to the legislators," Gill said. "A lot of people called their legislators and wrote to them."

Gill hopes the smoking ban will reduce the cost of healthcare for inmates, the remaining money left available for correction officer's retirement benefits.

"I'm hoping to see that money stay within the department of correction and be used to help fund our pension plan," he said.

One concern surfacing is that cigarettes would become contraband and controlled by prison gangs.

"It's nothing different than we have with contraband in the past, whether it's a cell phone or illegal drugs," Schnapp said.

Visitors will also no longer be able to bring cigarettes inside prison walls. They will be asked, instead, to leave them in their cars or throw them away.

Schnapp says if an inmate or employee is caught smoking, discipline will be handled on a case by case basis.

He also says most inmates come from Cook County, and are used to a smoke-free environment because tobacco is already banned there.

Okay...just found something that may be even more absurd.

That...

• Some health departments urge bars to start their New Year's Eve festivities completely smoke free. That way, the establishments will be in compliance with the new law the second it goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. New Year's Day.

Southern Illinois Bars Prepare for Smoking Ban

By: Carly O'Keefe

WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. - The theme for New Years Eve 2008 at the Casino Tavern in West Frankfort might just be smoke 'em if you've got 'em, because New Year's Day--it's butts out.

"I want these ashtrays to get as much use as possible on that last night," said West Frankfort Bartender Jason Price.

The Smoke Free Illinois Act goes into effect midnight New Year's Eve. Some health departments urge bars to start their New Year's Eve festivities completely smoke free. That way, the establishments will be in compliance with the new law the second it goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. New Year's Day.

Lola's Uptown Restaurant in West Frankfort will also pull its ashtrays New Year's Day, but that doesn't mean the restaurant patrons plan to quit cold turkey. Some are trying to warm up to the idea early.

"A couple customers I spoke with have been going to non-smoking restaurants to get ready to come here and not smoke. They're regular customers here, and that's how they're preparing," said Lola's waitress Kelly Sieveking.

Price is also mentally preparing himself for the difficulty of telling folks they can't light up indoors.

"They'll come in and light up and I'll tell them ‘no', and they'll leave and be mad and it'll just take some time," said Price.

In the meantime, Price does have a plan for all those ashtrays.

"I think we're going to box them up along with all of our cigarette butts and mail them to the governor. Let him get rid of them," said Price.