WA Prison Smoking Bans Begin On Monday
Jump to full article: WAtoday.com.au (au), 2009-10-16
Author: TIM CLARKE
Intro: Inmates at WA's maximum security Hakea Prison will be banned from smoking in their cells from Monday - prompting fears from prison officers it could further increase tensions in the State's overcrowded jails.
As part of the Department of Corrective Services' smoking reduction policy, inmates at Hakea will be banned from smoking in their cells during the day from next week, according to John Welch, secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union.
Mr Welch said while the union agreed that passive smoking in prisons was potentially harmful to his members, of more immediate concern was the effect a tobacco ban could have on the mood of already tense inmates.
"They will have to wait until they get outside of the units before they will be able to smoke again.
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