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Jail institutes no smoking

May 15, 2008|GEORGE LEWIS

Clyde Miller has the dubious distinction of being the first inmate in the Lincoln County Regional Jail busted for having cigarettes in his cell.

Smoking and the possession of tobacco products by inmates and staff at the Lincoln County Regional jail was banned earlier this month, said Jailer David Gooch.

Neither inmates nor jail staff members are allowed to enter the jail with any tobacco products in their possession. Matches and lighters are also taboo.

"We have had very few problems with any inmate wanting to bring tobacco products into our facility," Mr. Gooch said. "Most inmates have indicated that they are very appreciative of this service being provided to them and most have wanted to quit smoking for a long time but were never provided with the resources to help them accomplish this task," he said.

The jail is providing, at no cost to inmates, the counseling services of Harold Tokle, who is leading a smoking-cessation class with the inmates who wish to quite smoking permanently. The jail provides the inmates with smoking-cessation patches provided by the Lincoln County Health Department through a grant obtained by Lee Ann Taylor. Those same services have been provided to jail staff as well.

Mr. Gooch explained that there were several reasons to go smoke-free at the jail. Aside from the obvious health benefits, he noted safety, security and facility maintenance.

Fire has long been known to present a real possibility for disaster in jails, he said. Use of matches and lighters increases the risk of fire caused either accidentally or intentionally. Providing inmates with matches also gives them the potential for creating explosives or incendiary devices.

Smoking in the enclosed jail environment requires air filters to be changed often and causes wear on air-conditioning systems. Smoking creates residue on walls, ceilings, floors, and mechanical devices, causing paint to deteriorate more rapidly than otherwise and mechanical devices to require more frequent maintenance.

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