Smoking Ban

Sheriff clears air at Jail: Smoking ban in place

02/01/05 -- Newly elected Sheriff Larry Sanders is clearing the air - literally - at the Sheriff's Department and the Garland County Detention Center beginning today with the implementation of a smoking ban.

    Inmates "will soon lose another freedom," Sanders said, but stressed "this smoking ban is not intended to be a form of punishment."

    He said the new policy is to protect the health of smoking and non-smoking inmates and the deputies assigned to the Detention Center, but also will be enforced Department-wide for all employees including the administrative section.

    Previously, all inmates and jailers were allowed to smoke anywhere in the Detention Center and Administrative employees had a designated area within the building.

    "We have to be fair to everyone, including our non-smoking employees," Sanders said.

    "I don't want to have it where some can smoke and others can't."

    Detention Center employees will be allowed to smoke in the sally port area with the garage door open because "there is no way for the smoke to be sucked back into the building" there.

    Other Department employees will have designated smoking areas outside the facility, just like the current policy at the Garland County Court House where employees go outside to smoke.

    Sanders noted the policy was already in effect at the Garland County Juvenile Detention Center.

    "This is not something new," he said. "It is a growing trend nationwide in county, state and federal detention facilities," including the Arkansas Department of Corrections where smoking is banned.

    Sanders said smoking is a privilege and banning it is not a violation of an inmate's rights - a fact that has been challenged and upheld in previous court rulings.

    "I have been studying this issue for a while and have had discussions with the county attorney during the process," he said.

    "My desire is to protect county inmates and employees from the health hazards related to second-hand smoke and I'm also looking at it from a safety issue concerning the ability of inmates being able to start fires in the facility."

    Sanders said there are concerns about inmates and employees with sinus problems and asthma who are affected by cigarette smoke, as well as numerous liability factors from allowing smoking.

    He also noted the ban will save taxpayers money "in the long run" by cutting down on health care and maintenance costs at the Detention Center.

    "It should be noted that visitors should not attempt to smuggle tobacco inside the facility," he said, noting that now the ban is in effect, anyone caught smuggling tobacco will be charged with a felony count of furnishing prohibited articles.

    Garland County's Detention Center was one of the few larger facilities that still allowed smoking so the change was overdue, he said.

    "At this point, there has been no indication there would be any problems with this," he said, noting he consulted the jail administrators before proposing the policy.

    Noting all the other businesses, restaurants and governments facilities where smoking is banned, Sanders said, "People are already having to deal with it so it shouldn't be a major obstacle."

    He said he gave the inmates plenty of warning about the impending ban and had already stopped selling cigarettes in the jail commissary.

    "I think they all know if they do cause problems, they will lose other privileges as a result."

    "We've allowed them time to prepare so they've been trying to learn to cut down."