No smoking prisons

This sounds promising from the Telegraph:

A noticeable drop in recorded crimes on the Isle of Man is being attributed to the opening of Europe’s only completely no smoking prison.

The island which is one of the safest places to live in the British Isles, has seen a massive reduction in total crimes since the new £42m jail opened in August 2008.

In the nine month period from April 2008 to December 15 2008 the total recorded crimes stood at 2,508.

But in the same period this year crimes dropped off 14 per cent, with a total of 2,157 crimes committed.
The prison is Europe’s one and only completely non-smoking prison – with smoking not even allowed in the prison exercise yard.

Even prison guards are banned from smoking anywhere on the premises and have to go into a nearby car park to light up.

Prisoners are told they have no choice but to give up and are given free nicotine patches and counselling sessions to help them beat their cravings.

“It’s a standing joke now that when we nick someone we remind them that if they get sent down they’ll have to come off the cigarettes – their faces are a picture,” said a police source.

“It’s like they are more scared about giving up smoking than a criminal record and some time in the nick.”

So how about it Judith – trial a non smoking prison and see the results.