Has Canada Gone Full Retard??

[Puddle Pirate]

I think we need to build a fence to safeguard us from our neighbor to the north....

VANCOUVER— Prisoners at a B.C. jail are in the final stages of trying to form the first inmate labour union in Canada, their lawyer said Friday.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/03...-labour-union/

I'm sure they will want to "Picket" outside the fence...

[chew 'n' spit]

I think we need to build a fence to safeguard us from our neighbor to the north....

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/03...-labour-union/

I'm sure they will want to "Picket" outside the fence...

Now that is funny, nothing would surprise me.

[Mike]

I read the link to find out why the title of the thread is so harsh toward Canada. I didn't find the reason in the article. All I found is some malcontent inmates are trying to organize. It also appears the warden at the Mountain Institution needs to be replaced if he can't put an end to this on his own. Now, if the Canadian government allows it to happen, at that point I will agree with the title.

[wacojoe]

There is an extensive list when one Googles "Canada Prisoner Strikes." Several of the strikes were ostensibly to gain the right to smoke. In one 2009 instance a bunch of hard-cores sued for the right to smoke claiming they had been savaged by being deprived of their rights to puff outside and were subjected to cruel and unusual punishment as a result and "suffered from severe physical and psychological ailments that resulted from nicotine withdrawal. They also argued that their three to four-day conjugal visits were nullified when visitors who smoked refused to visit. The applicants also alleged that some of the guards taunted them about not being able to smoke." The Canadian judge found for the prisoners and that Canadian prison officials had deprived them of their right to smoke outside.

http://www.suite101.com/content/judg...#ixzz1FmIlFr7L

[chew 'n' spit]

OH Canada............

[Greenie]

Banning tobacco from prisons has created many problems - black market contraband - a tobacco cigarette costs more than a reefer here in Maine. Inmates caught with tobacco have their sentences extended which costs taxpayers. A common sense solution would be to let the inmates smoke - they're all adults with bigger Jones than tobacco to conquer.

[mgrist]

I see both sides. It's not the smoking per se that is unwanted, it is the ignition sources. There is always one that ruins it for everybody. No smoking creates as greenie mentioned another black market with this or that group controlling it, or trying to. More fights, more retaliation, robbery ect... My suggestion would be to stay out of prison if you don't like it, but there are control issues with banning it altogether.

[Puddle Pirate]

My post, is really more of a sarcastic one then anything else.

I do find it interesting that:

have put together a constitution and have garnered letters of support from other unions.

Really?

After they have enough members signed up, organizers will take their proposal to the Labour Board of Canada in a bid to become eligible to form a union.

Really? Again? Really????

Mountain Institution has approached Corrections Canada and is awaiting direction on how to deal with the situation.
“We’re still in consultation with our national headquarters over the whole idea about inmates forming a union here,” said Brenda Lamm, assistant warden. “It’s a new avenue for us and we’re not sure yet how to proceed.”

You got to be jacking me!!!!

All of this indicates to me that the government entities to the north are blooming idiots!

Like the US, it appears in Canada, that prisoners have more rights then the rest of us knuckle draggers, who are stupid enough to obey the laws and stay out of those places.

I guess Canadians are just more sophisticated then us dumb U.S. citizen types.........

[LawDog]

Banning tobacco from prisons has created many problems - black market contraband - a tobacco cigarette costs more than a reefer here in Maine. Inmates caught with tobacco have their sentences extended which costs taxpayers. A common sense solution would be to let the inmates smoke - they're all adults with bigger Jones than tobacco to conquer.

Oh no....what about the non smoking prisoners and guards who would be subjected to such a dangerous atmosphere. If we cannot smoke in bars, or buildings of any kind, including private businesses, cannot smoke in the parks, etc, the the criminals should not be allowed rights the general public has had taken away. The same arguments that say you cannot smoke in a bar extend into the prisons....

[Mike]

Oh no....what about the non smoking prisoners and guards who would be subjected to such a dangerous atmosphere. If we cannot smoke in bars, or buildings of any kind, including private businesses, cannot smoke in the parks, etc, the the criminals should not be allowed rights the general public has had taken away. The same arguments that say you cannot smoke in a bar extend into the prisons....

I don't smoke and don't much like breathing someone else's smoke. But, you have made a damn good point! How the hell can convicted felons have more rights than the rest of us who are law abiding citizens?

[chew 'n' spit]

I don't smoke and don't much like breathing someone else's smoke. But, you have made a damn good point! How the hell can convicted felons have more rights than the rest of us who are law abiding citizens?

Seems you may have flip flopped from your earlier post.........just saying.......lol. When you try to defend the mentality of the liberal Canadian wing, you are going off on a thin limb.

[LawDog]

I don't smoke and don't much like breathing someone else's smoke. But, you have made a damn good point! How the hell can convicted felons have more rights than the rest of us who are law abiding citizens?

I don't smoke cigarettes and never have. I do enjoy a nice cigar, but I usually do it on my back deck by the pool. But you saw my point exactly, the same arguments people make about smoking have to apply in the prisons also.

[Greenie]

Oh no....what about the non smoking prisoners and guards who would be subjected to such a dangerous atmosphere. If we cannot smoke in bars, or buildings of any kind, including private businesses, cannot smoke in the parks, etc, the the criminals should not be allowed rights the general public has had taken away. The same arguments that say you cannot smoke in a bar extend into the prisons....

I think you missed the point. I'm not advocating for inmate rights, I'm pointing out a policy that has created unintended consequences; profitable blackmarket trade, strongarm violence in prisons, added costs to taxpayers (extended sentences for smoking, correctional officer attentions spent in new realm of nanny statism). Are you in favor of enforcing smoking bans by prison sentences at an average of $35K a year ?

[LawDog]

Yep. If it were up to me, they would just do better searches of things and people coming into prison, and as for those caught with it, I might not extend their stay...they would just have to spend time in the hole....now, how bad do you want that cigarette would be my approach???

[bigbluthundr]

I think we need to build a fence to safeguard us from our neighbor to the north....

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/03...-labour-union/

I'm sure they will want to "Picket" outside the fence...

Sometimes this group is very strange - this MAY be one of them! - Do you REALLY think this will come to pass?

bbt