Corrections_Today_Winter_2025-2026_Vol.87_No.4

News&Views

VIEW FROM THE LINE

Why correctional facilities should reject e-cigarette commissary programs

By Jessica Young, Dr. William Dennis and Dr. Melanie Stroda

R ecent advocacy efforts suggest that selling e-cigarettes in jails can reduce violence, pro mote harm reduction, and generate revenue. However, these proposals overlook critical concerns related to safety, addiction, contraband, and institutional ethics. This paper argues against implementing vape sales in correctional facilities and proposes a more evidence-based alternative: supervised nicotine replacement ther apies (NRTs) and behavioral support that prioritize long-term recovery over short-term pacification. Introduction As of 2025, several correctional systems have introduced or expand ed vaping access for incarcerated individuals, often citing reduced ag gression and increased commissary revenue. Articles such as “Get Vapes in Prisons” (Kirkpatrick, 2024) and “The Undeniable Benefits of Allow ing Vaping in Jails” (Caruana, 2024) argue from a harm reduction ap proach. Yet these claims often fail to consider the broader health, safety, and security implications for vulner able populations in custody.

Vaping sustains chemical dependency Vapes sustain addic tion rather than treat it. While marketed as a safer alternative to smoking, e-cigarettes are not benign. The long-term health effects remain under investiga tion, though e-cigarettes have been linked to cases of “popcorn lung,” an

irreversible disease that makes breathing difficult (ALA Editorial Staff, 2016). E-liquids may contain volatile organic compounds, heavy met als, and other addictive substances harmful to respiratory health (lpert et al, 2016, Hess, et al., 2018, Re, et al., 2021). Correctional populations have high rates of substance use dis orders and co-occurring mental illness. Replacing one form of chemical dependence with another fails to support long-term recovery (Lippert, et al. 2024, Barufaldi, et al., 2021, Kreski, et al. 2023). Incar cerated individuals need access to

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evidence-based cessation services, not retail vapes. Structured cessa tion programs with FDA-approved NRTs (like patches or lozenges— gum is not generally recommended as it can pose a security issue when jammed into locks or used to obscure cameras) offer a more ac countable path forward (U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 2022). Vapes pose security issues E-cigarettes can be tampered with to conceal illicit substances

Corrections Today | Winter 2025-2026

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