E-cigarettes made especially for inmates

Abstract

The USA has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, at 751 per 100 000,1 and almost 12 million people are admitted to local jails annually.2 Smoking prevalence is estimated at 60–80% in US criminal justice populations, about four times higher than in the general population.3 Most jails ban conventional cigarette smoking to prevent contraband and associated violence, reduce the fire hazard and maintenance costs associated with cigarettes, and lower secondhand smoke exposure by non-smoking prisoners.4 ,5 Some jails, however, are experimenting with offering e-cigarettes for sale to inmates. Although some state correctional agencies have banned e-cigarette sales in prison commissaries (stores that sell provisions for inmates), policies vary for local (city or county) jails. County jails in Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, Nebraska and …