Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Smoking Returns to Prison

 Mikey gonna be mad!

The Mississippi Department of Corrections issued the following statement. 

For the first time in 10 years, Mississippi prison inmates who smoke will be able to do so legally on February 1, 2021. Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain is turning the negative of smoking into something positive for the state's 21 prisons and other facilities.

"Inmates who smoke are smoking anyway," said the Commissioner, "but they're having to smuggle in tobacco to do it, which is illegal, and it's even more illegal because state law prohibits smoking in state buildings.  That compromises our Corrections officers and staff and puts them at risk to either break the law by allowing the smoking or to put themselves in danger by enforcing the rule.  By selling the same cigarettes that are allowed to free people, we are breaking the contraband tobacco trade, designating smoking areas outside, clearing the air inside for the majority of inmates who don't smoke, reducing inmate contraband violations, and recouping for taxpayers some of the dollars it takes to run prisons."

Profits from prison tobacco sales will fund MDOC's Re-entry Program by buying simulators and computer programs to teach parole-eligible men and women inmates the skills for truck driving, welding, backhoe, caterpillar and dragline operations, and in oil and pipeline work.  The tobacco sales will also fund more remedial courses so inmates can achieve a high-school diploma, passing the HiSET (High School Equivalency Test) and begin college course work.

Name brand cigarettes will be sold at current prices in the prisons' canteens where inmates buy snacks and toiletries.  Cigars and smokeless tobacco products will also be sold.

"Inmates who smoke now not only are breaking laws and losing a chance at early release," added MDOC Deputy Commissioner Jay Mallett, "but also they are paying as much as $500 a pound to do it.  The smokers will save money and the state will make money."

Prison superintendents and wardens will designate smoking areas outdoors in compliance with state and federal law.

According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation and other websites, 27 other state correctional departments, including New York, California and Illinois, allow smoking outdoors on prison grounds with 15 also allowing the use of other tobacco products.


27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fine with me

Anonymous said...

BC ain’t stupid nobody has deeper pockets than the tobacco companies. Kickbacks and prizes are part of the business model, it just depends who gets the goodies, they will send it wherever you like.

Anonymous said...

Smoking themselves death well....ok.

Anonymous said...

Riddle me this-tobacco lawsuit settlement insured endless supply. Follow the money. Nobody will write that book

Big Tobacco has Spoken said...

Yep, big tobacco greased some palms. If they really believe that the cons will only smoke in designated areas someone is blowing smoke up their ass (pun intended).

Anonymous said...

First ms government is in the booze business, then the pot business, and now the cancer stick business. What's left? Hookers?

Anonymous said...

Medical Weed just might be legal pretty soon, I wonder if he is going to authorize that too. Aren’t they already smoking that too.

Anonymous said...

A big bowl of some good legal "medical shit" is OK, but a Marlboro Light is illegal ?

Good for BC understanding the basics of common sense.

Anonymous said...

https://bgr.com/2020/04/23/mind-boggling-study-says-smoking-might-prevent-coronavirus-infections/

Anonymous said...

"What's left? Hookers?"

Why not ?

Hookers have been around a lot than longer than medical marijuana.

And it's still cheaper than taking a woman to gawd knows how many trips to NOLA, Atlanta , Houston for the same result.

Anonymous said...

Burl already said on Supertalk that he will not allow ganja.

Anonymous said...

Why not Kentucky Tavern and Penthouse? Both are available legally on the outside and provided as contraband on the inside. Exact same logic applies. Prove me wrong.

How them boyz gonna light them cigars?

Anonymous said...

10:49 - Burl didn't mean to say that. He was only trying to get a word in edgewise with Gallo....which is damned near impossible. Retirement can't get here quick enough.

Anonymous said...

Who is going to pay for these cigarettes? I remember a lot of Mississippi lawyers got rich “protecting” Mississippians from cigarettes. Now the state is supporting the very problem the state condemned years ago. The only good thing that came out of that tobacco litigation the fact that some of the attorneys went to jail.

Anonymous said...

Quite the conundrum here. Do we put in a plan to stop the smuggling or do we allow the convicts to smoke? I know, let's do the easier of the two.

Anonymous said...

Limit them to non filtered Camels.

Anonymous said...

8:19 Hookers were a mainstay of Parchman - you hear it referred to as the brick house or red house in blues songs. Bus loads of hookers shipped in regularly. The trustee prisoners were also armed. Shooting an escaping prisoners earned you “special” benefits.

Follow The Tobacco Money said...

@10:28 AM - Very interesting, thanks.

I am convinced that there is some quid pro quo involved, i.e. lots of greasy palms. The justification doesn't pass the smell test. Kind of like "they use home-made shanks to stab other inmates and we can't stop their manufacture, so we are going to issue Buck knives."

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the new commissioner will soon permit the sale of chicken wings.

While Salem menthols are easier to stuff into a football, they seem to come-in second to the most popular contraband ... chicken "wangs".

Big-D said...

STUPID QUESTION OF THE DAY
Who's paying.????

Anonymous said...

We should let them smoke, dip md chew. However, throwing their butts, or spitting on the floor is nasty and should be prohibited. They also should be allowed to grow corn and the prison should operate a distillery to allow them to drink and teach them a job skill for if and when they get out. If more of them could work in the distillery and get employee discounts for the product produced, fewer of them would try to break out. Also should allow them to grow turnips and Marijuana - two excellent cash crops.

Anonymous said...

You know he had to run this by Tate. Surprised it cleared that hurdle. Wouldn't be surprised if the legislature addresses it in a month or so.

Anonymous said...

" Wouldn't be surprised if the legislature addresses it . . . "

That may actually happen.

I can see the International headlines:
"MISSISSIPPI DROPS CONFEDERATE FLAG, BUT STARTS A NEW WAR OVER PRISON CHICKEN WINGS"

Anonymous said...

Question: Why do you have a problem with inmates smoking cigarettes in prison?
Cause inmates kill?

Question: Well, why don’t you have a problem with the government and/or tobacco companies making zillions off a product that also kills?
Cause death via cigarettes is a choice and being murdered isn’t?

Exactly.
Being allowed to smoke in prison is a CHOICE. Which means your problem is with inmates having a choice.
Well, say THAT then.












Anonymous said...

I thought some of the State Tobacco Lawsuit money was supposed to be spent on promoting non-Smoking?

Now the State Tax payers will be on the hook for Tobacco caused cancer condoned & promoted by the state.

Where's a good Attorney General when U need one. Calling Mike Moore?

Anonymous said...

Prison is 'pose to be hard-time, removal from society and its luxuries and rewards - giving up (or having taken away) your freedom and pleasures. The Commish screwed the pooch on this one and the ACLU will love it.

The Legislature should kick Cain's ass in January if our spineless governor doesn't do it before then!

Coming To A Radio Near You... said...

NOTICE! Cain will be on Gallo's Supertalk tomorrow, Wednesday morning. Hope Whacky-Paul will let the man get a few words in.


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