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Five inmates continue Isle of Man hunger strike
FIVE prisoners refused to eat their evening meal yesterday (Thursday) in protest against the smoking ban.
Friends and relatives of inmates claimed up to 16 of 32 prisoners on A wing of the Victoria Road jail were on hunger strike.
Prison officials initially said 'a very small number' of inmates were refusing to eat.
In a statement issued this morning, the Department of Home Affairs confirmed that nine prisoners refused their lunchtime meals yesterday and five refused their evening meal.
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>> Isle of Man prisoners go on hunger strike over smoking ban1 May 2008
'All prisoners are taking fluids and some have also taken their week's canteen entitlement – including sweets and biscuits etc,' a spokesman said.
'All prisoners are being monitored closely by staff and will also be observed by prison healthcare.
'There are no prisoners showing any signs of the effects of not eating, and all appear to be well.'
The ban on smoking in the workplace, introduced at the end of March, was applied to the prison in Victoria Road and its grounds. It will also extend to the new jail in Jurby when it becomes operational.
A woman who contacted iomtoday on behalf of an inmate claimed the introduction of the ban was a 'shambles' and that in the weeks leading up to it prisoners were able to stockpile tobacco and smoke until they ran out.
It is understood prisoners craving nicotine have resorted to smoking dried out teabags wrapped in pages of the Bible.
When the ban was announced in June, Home Affairs Minister Martyn Quayle said it would 'provide clean air, free from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke, to staff and prisoners and will encourage prisoners – the majority of whom smoke – to break their addiction to nicotine'.
Prisoners have access to smoking cessation therapies including nicotine replacement therapy on request, under medical supervision. The annual cost of providing NRT to all prisoners who smoke is estimated at 20,000 per year.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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YOUR COMMENTS
Why should prisoners be treated any differently from any other smoker? They are in prison as a punishment so therefore should forfeit any "pleasures" they had on the outside world as soon as they walk through the Prison doors. And if they aren't eating then at least the hard working, law abiding tax payer is saving some money! Talk about a nanny state!!
EDDIE
Why shouldn't a prisoner be treated the same as any other smoker? Yes they have done wrong and they are being punished for it but that does not mean that they took away there right to be a human being. Everyone is entitled to a decent standard of living and there own choices and smoking is not excluded from that. Let them smoke like we do, outside as when they have done there time they will be doing exactly the same thing outside!! What will the government be saying next, that the navy boys and soldiers cannot smoke on the boats! Would you expect them to stop smoking?
JLM
Irionically, some people in the IoM seem more scared of not being able to smoke than going to prison- it`s not the end of the world that you can`t have a fag, in a months time these crims will be smoke free and hopefully feel better about themselves too.This could help as a deterrent to criminals they probably fear prison more for the fact they can`t smoke in there - unless of course people use it as a way to quit and become criminals just to get in there lol.
RICK, Grimsby
The Isle of Man prison smoking ban hunger strike story, with tobacco going for as much as heroin, exposes nicotine dependency's grip and depth. Having recently completed presenting 63 nicotine cessation seminars in 28 South Carolina prisons that went tobacco-free, I assure you, seeing hard drugs or sex traded to feed addiction to smoking or chewing nicotine is not unusual.
Housing all death row inmates, my very first prison experience was at our state's most secure institution. I'll never forget standing before 600 angry, defiant looking faces whose attendance, based upon pre-policy change canteen tobacco purchase records, was mandatory. It was as though their eyes and minds were blaming me for having taken away their cigarettes and oral tobacco.
But I felt born for the moment and I wasn't there to candy-coat the situation. I was there to get them to look even closer at what they were seeing, to remind them who they were, true drug addicts in every sense. It was my job to destroy their nicotine illusions, a laundry list of rationalizations, to counter a lifetime of tobacco industry pleasure and flavor marketing, to teach them how adolescent nicotine use had damaged serotonin pathways and the ability of the rational thinking mind to arrest impulsiveness. The most rewarding educational experiences of my life, within two hours most were applauding.
The world's addiction experts are nearing consensus, that nicotine addiction is on a par with heroin. If true, we need to think outside the box. If legal, would it make sense to allow heroin to be marketed in front of young, immature and easily swayed minds? Shouldn't merchants be compelled to pick one or the other, the store marketing of nicotine products, or allowing children and teens inside as customers? If we won't defend them, then who?
JOHN R. POLTO, Nicotine Cessation Educator, 1325 Pherigo Street, Mount Pleasant, SC USA 29464
You have to laugh don't you, my young son would love to go on hunger strike if it meant that he didn't have to eat proper meals but could still have sweets and biscuits from the prison shop / canteen!
NICK CORLETT
I like JLM's comment about stopping navy boys and soldiers from smoking directly comparing them to criminals ! ? How many criminals put there lives on the line to protect this country everyday ! ? Rick has a very good point, maybe now the criminals will think twice about committing the crime in the first place if it means they will have to loose the privilege of smoking ! you would think losing your freedom would be bad enough but some seem to use the prison as a way of getting fit or a holiday home ! this will be the case even more when they get there cells with flat screen tv's in etc. . . . Also I cant believe that some inmates have already used this months sweety allowance ! lol If you left them too it they will soon eat again. Kind Regards,
AJF
I find it unbelievable that the inmates at Isle of Man Prison are given apparently such caring, considerate treatment by the authorities ( I refer of course to the NRT at a cost of tens of thousands of Manx pounds). Do they then embrace the opportunity GIVEN to them? NO!!! They throw it back in the taxpayers faces quoting 'human rights' this and 'infingement of civil liberty' that. I'd like to see a return of birching for repeat offenders.
MH
Seems the people making these comments have never had the pleasure of being at her majesty's pleasure, Firstly the inmates are in jail as a punishment, is it right to punish them again and not let them smoke? outside in the exercise yard or while they are working out in the open? earning a very tiny little bit extra so that they can buy their biscuits or sweets (it use to be extra tobacco). Forcing people to give up smoking is never going to work(the first thing any decent cessation educator will tell you is that you have to want to give up smoking) and people naturally revolt, these people are making a statement the only way you can when you are banged up, i bet the screws that smoke have a shelter to go and have a ciggie..... and people saying that they have no rights in jail are pathetic you are still a human being when you are inside. Do you see gov workers being forced to stop smoking against their will? NO just look outside any Gov office!! and you are paying them to have that fag!
DC
Should be considered as part of their punishment and if they want to continue smoking then don't commit the crime in the first place!!!
LL
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