Jitters about quitting smoking cold turkey Monday during a hot, smoggy summer triggered a rock-throwing uprising among up to 500 inmates at a large Southern California jail, authorities said.
A total of 37 people were hurt in two fights Sunday at Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho in north Los Angeles County.Each of the brawls began with fights between blacks and Hispanics, but officials discounted racial motives, instead blaming a smoking ban scheduled to begin Monday and the 95-degree heat.
Both uprisings calmed quickly with the appearance of deputies in riot gear alerted from posts across the sprawling semi-rural jail complex.
"It was the last day that smoking was allowed in sheriff's jail facilities, and they were a little antsy about the smoking ban," Deputy Rich Erickson said, adding, "They were out of sorts and cantankerous because of the heat."
Smoking in all county sheriff-operated jails is banned as of Monday, meaning that none of the 21,105 inmates in the county jail system can smoke indoors or out while in custody.
Deputies who have worked in the jails say most inmates are smokers and cigarettes are used as currency. Officials of the American Lung Association estimate about 80 percent of inmates smoke, compared to about 21 percent of the population at large.
"We want to emphasize it was not a racial thing," Erickson said. "The (second) fight initially was, but the inmates all decided to go off because they were tense about this smoking ban.
"To help alleviate some of the concerns about the smoking, (officials) are offering hard candies and a smoke-enders plan," he said.