Page 1 of Prisoners should have access to the internet - discuss.

Taken from BBC News:


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Prisoners `should get net access`
prison classroom
The report says there need to be sanctions for breaking the rules
Prisoners should have internet access to help with education, resettlement and recreation, a report argues.

The report Internet Inside, published by the Forum on Prisoner Education charity, said this was essential to prepare inmates for life after release.

It also calls for them to have access to e-mail.

The government is planning to try giving prisoners the internet but only in an open prison, which the charity says is unduly cautious.

Clear rules

Forum director Steve Taylor said: "There really is something wrong with our prisons when countries such as Hungary, Greece and Russia provide internet access to prisoners but we do not.

"Government are being very slow to act on this issue and are in breach of Council of Europe recommendations. We hope that our report will lead to swift action."

The report says that in Switzerland, for example, prisoners undergo a short training course on acceptable use before being allowed onto the net.

If they break the rules, access is taken away.

"This hasn`t led to a meltdown on the Swiss penal system," said Mr Taylor.

Hitherto prisoners have not had internet access because of fears they might view pornography, intimidate witnesses or even plot an escape.

But director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, Frances Crook, said many of the concerns were "spurious", adding that prisoners already had contact with the world through letters and phone calls.

She said the main concern was that prisoners would try to contact their victims, but that it was not beyond the Prison Service to introduce safeguards against that.

"It`s essential that everyone has access to technology. It`s part of their training, they wouldn`t be getting the internet in their cells," she said.

"It is so they can come out, get jobs and pay tax. Otherwise they will go back to crime. That`s the choice that has to be made."

But the Prison Service was understandably "paranoid" about introducing new initiatives, added Ms Crook, because they were so often heavily criticised for it in the press.

Boundaries

A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "The government agrees that use of information and communications technology to support learning, including appropriate access to web-based material, is increasingly important in improving the skills and employability of offenders.

"It is driving this agenda forward in prisons and tackling the challenge to deliver ICT skills and e-learning access while maintaining security."

Experimental access is expected to begin at Leyhill open prison in Gloucestershire later this year.

But Mr Taylor said it should be tried in a high-security prison.

"The government are concentrating on trying to create a secure internet, which is just not possible when faced with a prisoner with considerable IT knowledge," he said.

"We need to have unrestricted access, with known rules and boundaries, and close monitoring.

"Prison authorities might just be surprised by how positively prisoners would respond."

No - prison is `supposed` to be punishment. Most of them have more toys than I have and have only lost their `freedom` but you are hardly free out on the streets these days with big brother cameras watching your every move.

why take life so seriously..its not like you are going to make it out alive

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but you are hardly free out on the streets these days with big brother cameras watching your every move.

Bit OTT don`t you think so

Just exactly what do these cameras stop you doing now that you did before they were there?

Prison is supposed to be about rehabilitation as well. Whats the point in locking someone up for five years if they come out and do exactly the same thing?

It`s 2008 for God`s sake. Give me my jetpack, and give me my x-ray goggles. This future is rubbish.

Prisons have had libraries for decades, the content of which is controlled.
The internet is a modern day library, is it not?
Therefore, no harm in them having restricted internet access.

The internet will be very handy for them in planning their next robbery so I think its a great idea! :/
They could even have their own forum set up where they can meet similar minded people and discuss the best ways to kill and maim. Instead of prison tattoos they could just use different sigs on their forum ;)
In reality though it will just be used for porn which is all most of us use the internet for now anyway but they are in prison and probably the only punishment they will understand is doing without internet porn.

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In reality though it will just be used for porn

Like I said, I`d be very surprised if their internet access wasn`t very restricted.
Unlimited access, no way.
Limited access, no worse than having a prison library.

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If they break the rules, access is taken away

Didn`t they already do that once, hence why they`re in prison? I agree with the other poster, prisons are getting more and more toys now it`s getting stupid. If the prisoners are complaining about the conditions then simle, don`t break the law in the first place.

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"It is so they can come out, get jobs and pay tax. Otherwise they will go back to crime. That`s the choice that has to be made."

So what, unless they get the Internet they will all go back to crime when they come out? How ridiculous, that`s down to the person, being able to search google won`t make any difference. Are they saying that currently all prisoners are released and go back to crime? If so doesn`t that make the whole system pointless and if anything show they haven`t learnt their lesson and aren`t worried about going back?

UQ Web Design ¦ Offensive 101

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I agree with the other poster, prisons are getting more and more toys

Explain to me why having restricted internet access is any different to having access to a library.
If you can do so successfully, I will demand my daughter`s school remove their PC`s with immediate effect.

This item was edited on Friday, 3rd October 2008, 10:17

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Explain to me why having restricted internet access is any different to having access to a library.

Seconded.

Although saying that I was with someone on new year and he was receiving text messages from "a mate" wishing him well and to have a good one.

I questioned that I thought this person was in prison looking at something like 5years for being caught with a load of drugs and my mate replied "he is".

The mobile was smuggled in, but still.........




www.last.fm/user/1mills

This item was edited on Friday, 3rd October 2008, 10:23