Having just read about the riots breaking out, families and prison employees smuggling and turf wars over control of black markets on the inside, I almost thought I was reading about the meth or heroin trade in Californias prisons, but I wasn't. I was reading about the tobacco trade on the inside. It is still, at the bottom, a race thing, like all problems inside. The various race sects all want to be the top dog when it comes to any controlled substances and contraband in prisons. Contraband? Controlled substances? Riots? Over Tobacco? Yes, that's right, tobacco. All because the state has decidied that prisons should join the ranks of restaurants and bars as non-smoking establishments! Are you kidding me?

Don't get me wrong. I am all for prisoners whacking each other out so that society might be shed of the obligation of spending billions on people who, for the most part, couldn't care less about true rehabilitation. I have to say, however, that this no smoking policy in prison is ridiculous! I thought so when they did it in bars too. In a restaurant, I agree. People go there to eat and enjoy a clean atmosphere and they spend alot of jack to eat out. They should have the expectation of a clean and healthy environment without having the taste of teh food they busted for spoiled by the acrid odor of cigarettes, but a bar is a place people go to drink, and the vast majority of drinkers smoke. Hell. I know many people who don't usually smoke, but do when they drink! It's like going to a casino. If you don't want to deal with the atmosphere that almost always accompanies drinkers and gamblers, stay home! In prison smoking is about the only thing these guys(and gals)have to look forward to as far as enjoying themselves.

I am an anti-smoking NAZI! I HATE it, but I deal with it when I place myself in a situation where it is prevalent. It is a disgusting, smelly, obtrusive and costly habit that helps kill millions of people per year around the world. It is the scourge of socially acceptable behavior, and I say this as a former smoker(I quit in July 1991). What really gets my goat about the whole prison thing is that we are making such a big issue of it. I mean, we give them educations, medical and dental care, job training, gymnasiums, playrooms with big screen TVs and conjugal visits, but we wont let them smoke? Are you serious? It looks like the state has it's priorities screwed up again.

OK. Let's not let them smoke in their cells, you know, close quarters and all(I don't know if they could before this..does anyone know that?), and let's not let them smoke at chow, but no smoking period? I say we curtail the use of some of the things we KNOW the vast majority of prisoners are not going to put to good use or that they will simply take advantage of for the wrong reasons, like all the amenities I mentioned previously, and have them make big rocks into little rocks like they used to have to do, but if they want to shoot for lung cancer and emphysema, I say "Go for it"!

Maybe it's the officers health that is in question. Well, they can always go get another job! If they only let them smoke outside, what difference does it make? Stand away from them if you are so squeamish about it all. I mean, it's not like applicants for CO jobs think they are goint to be in a sterile, IBM office-like environment. They know what they are signing up for. I say they have no expectation of smoke free air or a healthy environment. It a PRISON, for cryin out loud!

Some of you may wonder why I am not supporting this wholeheartedly as a former smoker. Well, here is why. For the same reason I oppose the no smoking in bars and increased taxes on tobacco, I oppose this. It started in restaurants..OK I covered that, but then it moved to bars, now it's prisons. Taxes have made smokes on the OUTSIDE a great black market commodity by raising the cost of a pack of smokes ao a can of chew to well over five bucks! What are they going to decide is bad for us next? Cheeseburgers? Coffee? Dairy products? Give me a break, oh fearless leaders! Instead of saving the criminals from themselves, why not make some better laws aimed at saving us from the criminals?