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Press releasesREF: PR/28/07 DATE: 22nd May 2007 To: ALL POLITICAL PRESS RELEASE Smoking or no SmokingPrisoners will once again be given more rights than prison officers as they are to be allowed to smoke in their cells when the smoking ban in public and workplaces comes into effect on the 1st July 2007 in England and Wales. The POA will debate the effects of the current Government exemption for prisons and the Prison Service policy which allows prisoners to smoke in their cells and demand smoking or non smoking cells. Colin Moses, National Chairman of the POA said, “The changes in legislation were brought about to protect the health of everyone. It is well known that the effects of passive smoking are significant. This policy will cause major problems in prisons with prisoners having more rights than the staff. It is ludicrous that the staff in overcrowded and under resourced prisons will now have to move prisoners from cell to cell or prison to prison to accommodate their smoking habits.” Brian Caton, General Secretary of the POA said, “Prisoners should not be allowed to smoke in prisons. They have broken the law and been sent to prison as a result. That was their choice and they knew the consequences of their actions. Prisons are not hotels and it is wrong that prison staff are being treated like second class citizens. I am hopeful that our Conference will reject the exemption and Prison Service policy so that we can campaign for a change to ensure the workers’ rights are protected.”
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