Premier Daniel Andrews rules out removing the ban, saying ‘you don’t reward that sort of appalling behaviour’

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Melbourne prison unrest under control as riot police stand down Read more

The Victorian government is being urged to rethink its ban on smoking in prisons after a violent riot at Melbourne’s metropolitan remand centre.

The premier, Daniel Andrews, and the corrections commissioner, Jan Shuard, insist that is not going to happen.

“You don’t reward that sort of appalling behaviour by bringing about policy changes,” Andrews said after the riot was quelled on Wednesday.

But an upper house MP, Fiona Patten, from the Australian Sex party, and a social work expert think prisons should have designated areas where inmates can smoke without posing a health risk to non-smokers and prison staff.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Hundreds riot at Ravenhall maximum security prison over smoking ban. Souce: Channel Seven News. Link to video

“Considering current overcrowding in Victorian prisons, a situation that already contributes to violence, removing a form of stress relief and minor freedom borders on cruel,” Patten said.

RMIT associate professor Jennifer Martin says people with mental health problems – and there are many in prisons – rely on smoking to cope with stress or boredom.

“People do lose a lot of their rights when they go into prison, but it is important to help the person maintain their dignity, their self respect and their coping mechanisms in what is an extremely difficult environment,” Martin told reporters.

The ban also puts prison workers in the position of withholding access to tobacco, and this increases tensions and the risk of aggression and violence.

Martin said there were similar negative impacts when smoking was banned from acute psychiatric care.

But associate professor Renee Bittoun, a smoking cessation researcher with the University of Sydney’s brain and mind research institute, said the government had a duty of care towards prisoners as much as the rest of the population.

Just as alcohol was not allowed in workplaces, hospitals and schools, smoking should not be allowed either, she said.

“We really do have a duty of care to help smokers, no matter who they are or where they are, to quit smoking,” she said. “It’s our responsibility. We’ve shown very good evidence that especially in mental health patients, if you manage their withdrawal really well, they don’t have a problem with quitting, they’re calm and relaxed about not smoking, and they also save a lot of money.

“A disproportion number of people with mental health concerns end up in the prison system and it may be the reason why they smoke, and we know the mental health of people who quit greatly improves. They deserve the same treatment as anyone else.”

The smoking ban took effect on Wednesday after months of preparations by Corrections Victoria, including offering counselling and medication to support those trying to stop smoking.

Prisoners remained in lockdown on Wednesday afternoon as the cleanup of the prison and damage assessment began.

A fire which broke out just after 11am on Wednesday, hours after the riot had been brought under control by police, was extinguished shortly before noon. No staff or prisoners were in danger and corrections staff described the fire as “minor”.

On Wednesday evening, police announced the launch of taskforce Gallium to investigate the riot.

“The taskforce will comprise of a dedicated team of detectives whose primary role will be to investigate the riot,” a police statement said.

More details of the taskforce are expected to be released on Thursday.