Prisoners Have £300 Game Consoles Taken Away, Idiocy Rife
The Guardian is reporting [Ed - that link is currently down, this article has all the info in] that Rye Hill Prison in Northhamptonshire has been giving some of its 660 convicted felons access to PS3s. This is already supposed to be banned, but it seems that it has continued regardless. This has also led to inmates using the built-in WiFi to contact friends and family, which has now been ‘highlighted’ as a potential security threat.
There is also the hilarious fact that the prisoners are complaining that their PS3s are being taken away. One inmate stated that he is “banging my head against the proverbial brick wall regarding [his] Playstation 3.”
Firstly, I’m fairly sure that prison is supposed to be unpleasant. I’m not saying that the inmates should be living in their own filth, topped up with regular beatings and rock breaking, but come on. There is a line between owning a PS3 and having 3 warm meals a day and a cosy bed. Also, when prisoners complain because they can’t have their PS3s, it’s time to rethink our prison incentive schemes.
Secondly, why on earth does a prison have WiFi that is available to inmates? Have they not heard of encryption? I can see how you might need WiFi for the office areas, but Jesus Christ! What this shows is complete ignorance by the prison staff and the need for training in the technologies that are vital in running places like prisons. You have to know how to use locks in a prison, so why is ignorance to computers acceptable?
Personally, I’ve never committed a crime, yet I don’t own a PS3. But now I’m feeling like the Government should send me a nice Sony shaped cheque. Why should somebody who has broken the law get a nice shiny console? At least get them something a little bit cheaper, an original Xbox maybe? That or a NES, fairly sure there’s no WiFi in that.
Via: Destructoid
News Tags: idiocy, prisons, PS3, Sony
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I wish I had seen The Great Escape without knowing of all the cultural references first. The end is just depressing.
As I recall, prisoners still get more money for food than orphans and school children do. Sure they’re bigger, but still.
I saved for ages to get a PS3 and it turns out all have to do is brick a few cars and mug some old women.
Why shouldn’t they have access to consoles? do you deny them books? music? do we want criminals to just go to prison to do nothing to better themselves?
It’s a shame it’s being banned because of wifi (especially reading the earlier reports banning the wifi-incapable Xbox 360, haha).
Shame the prison authorities can’t get versions locked down. There are easy ways to box them up so they can’t get access to the USB areas, the wifi could be shielded or they could request something to disable it from the manufacturers (there must be a switch somewhere to do it on the PS3 and Wii).
Oh well, sigh. Idiocy is rife, but I dislike the fact this comment is present: “Firstly, I’m fairly sure that prison is supposed to be unpleasant.”. You’re sounding like the idiot here – people are meant to, we all hope, rehabilitate in prison. Solitary confinement (Your “3 warm meals plus bed”) is hardly the way to punish people unless you’re a sadist.
I think, it’s not good to inmates having their PS3 their inside the jail. They suppose not to allowed this. This is against the law. It is also a means of communication outside if I am not mistaken. Although, I don’t own a PS3, but I thinks there is a possibility to use that as a means of communication outside. More details about PS3 and other game consoles here.
@Andrew
How can you say that prisoners are using the PS3s to better themselves. How exactly would a prisoner use a PS3 to better himself? I may sound like an anti-game crusader, but there aren’t very many instances I myself(or anybody I know, for that matter), have used video games to better myself, and I can’t imagine convicts to use video games in that matter. I really dont think that those inmates are playing LittleBigPlanet. They’re probobly playing Resistance or someother shooter/action game.
And Andrew, yes, prisoners are in jail with the hope that they will rehabilitate, but that is not the main reason they are sent there. They are sent there for punishment for their crimes, and we hope they “rehabilitation” is experiencing what prison is like (which is not supposed to be pleasant).
Let’s just say that an inmate serves a sentence of three years in jail. While he’s there, he has access to a PS3, TV, nice meals, and loads of time to hang out with his fellow inmates and hvae fun. Now he comes out, and basically has the same things. What’s to stop him from commiting another crime? He’d just go back to prison, and experience the same things (in the name of entertainment) he had out of prison.
Bottom line, prison is for punishment, and inmates should not be allowed sources of entertainment, such as a PS3, or anything close to it, during their stay.
What on earth?
Do they not get access to films? books? TV? newspapers? posters? Do you say they can’t read in prison? Why are games any different? You’d argue they’re not allowed the legally-allowed PS2 and other previous consoles too I guess, right?
Oh, and yes, you are a anti-game crusader, not just sounding like one. Saying that makes you look like an idiot, such as prefacing a comment with “I may sound racist, but…”. It’s not an excuse to prove your point while looking like an angel.
I won’t buy into the “prisons are punishment” excuse either for explaining the reasoning. We’re not looking after dogs here, we don’t put people in solitary confinement cells for their prison stays. It’s not a highly enjoyable experience however you look at it, if it was then there’d be a hell of a lot more people committing crimes. People don’t like being locked up, making it insufferable with nothing to do is just sadistic.
@Andrew
I also noted that;
I firmly believe that rehabilitation is vital for prisoners, we need to get them to not re-offend, but I think that there is a line between having books, posters etc and £300 games consoles.
They shouldn’t be treated like dogs, but remember why they are there. I’m as liberal as the next guy, (or not) so I honestly don’t think that locking them up and throwing away the key is the option, but Playstation 3s are not either.
Andrew, the point of prison is to take away the liberties that we are granted. If prisoners are sent to jail, and they get there just to see they can listen to music, play video games and watch TV just about whenever they want to, what punishment are they recieving. It’s the same thing as sending some mass murderer to a hotel where he’ll get his three meals a day, but also with free internet, a PS3, cable TV, and all other sources of entertainment he would ever want.
Oh, and no, I’m not an anti-game crusader. I play video games a hell of a lot, and I enjoy them just as much. I simply believe that people who commit a crime, whether it’s manslaughter or murder or whatever the prisoners are in jail for, shouldn’t be allowed sources of entertainment that they won’t use to better themselves.
my god, whats wrong with you people??
people in prison COMMITTED A SERIOUS CRIME, are you all that stupid to understand that?
it must be that liberal bleeding heart of yours preventing you from understanding that PRISON IS MEANT TO BE PUNISHMENT, NOT A VACATION.
they have access to books, some places have access to tvs, they all get 3 warm meals, a bed, a toilet, thats all they need. remember they are their for a reason, they broke the law, so they should get a cookie, a laptop computer and a game system??
jesus christ, so whats there punishment?
whats the incentive for getting out of prison when while your in prison your doing the same shit you did on the outside, like play video games, watch tv, and so on.
so the next time you think about committing a crime its ahh no big deal ill do my time no problem, ill just sit back eat free meals, sleep in warm beds, watch some tv and play a little video games, ALL AT A LARGE COST TO THE TAX PAYER.
remember prison is a punishment, not a vacation, they should not be allowed the luxuries as we have on the outside besides the basic things needed for living, such as eating, sleeping, toiletries. books are fine also, weight lifting,basketball, things like that, not high end electronics AT THE COST OF THE TAX PAYERS BTW, those are luxuries, books, radios, and small tvs are not.
get a clue people, prison is a punishment these people are paying there debt to society for the crimes they committed, not going on a TAX PAYER funded vacation free of charge,
“I won’t buy into the “prisons are punishment†excuse either for explaining the reasoning.”
then you wont buy into the truth, only what you think is right.
because thats what they exactly are, PUNISHMENT.
Yea thanks for reapeating my post there buddy.
Perhaps you should spend some time in prison. But why speak of the truly guilty?; what of those few per many who are wrongly placed in prison? Is it not worth the comfort of bad men that the innocent or even truly repentant have comfort also? Do not compare your liberty equally with the price of a video game console, or any other comfort.