But they're not going to be inclined to tell. If inmates can find places to have sex, he added, they can find places to smoke. Frustration with enforcing the ban has led many wardens to wish for its end, said the Walls' Fernald. Personally, I'd like to see it kept in place. I don't have a lot of tolerance for those who say they can't do it.
Smoking is deeply ingrained in prison culture.
For years, prison officials noted, free tobacco was given to inmates on the theory that it would promote harmony. Rolling cigarettes is a therapeutic thing. It's a major social activity. After the ban, he said, tension rose. There was a high rate of violence among those who had to quit and didn't want to quit.