Indiana's Inmates Could Soon Have Access to Tablets

[Megalith]

I thought they were kidding when they said that prison is getting comfier and comfier, but I guess not. Instead of reflecting on how they shouldn’t have committed murder, inmates may now spend their time messing about on a tablet instead. You are still screwed if you drop the soap, but I guess you can clear your mind of that with some mobile games.

Indiana is looking to help offenders who are behind bars. Soon, each inmate in the Hoosier state could have their own tablet. The Indiana Department of Correction says the tablet will help inmates stay connected with their families and improve their education. Offenders will be able to use the tablets to access any classwork, self-help materials or entertainment. Officials expect to use entertainment, like music or movies, to reward good behavior.

 

[Jailer]

Michigan already has them.

 

[Makeroflostsouls]

So wait they get 3 meals a day and tablets and don't have to work.. So what's there punishment again? Feel like this is time out for adults with play time.. Really need to bring back hard labor, break stones all day for 8 hours , then maybe you can have some tablet time.

 

[SixFootDuo]

The reasons why prisons are considering allowing these types of items is not to make the prisoners 'comfy' .... it's a tool to pacify them from violence, to combat gangs and gang activity and most importantly to help with an inmates mental health and stability. There are probably many other reasons.

Also, people who are imprisoned have lost their freedom. This doesn't mean we torture them further by feeding them bread and water and keeping them locked up in solitaire confinement with the lights out.

Also, many may not know this but most prisons have reward systems in place for good behavior that allow inmates to purchase MP3 players, songs, Televisions, Food, Candy, Healthcare products, shoes, clothing and and in some cases, fruits and vegetables. Many prisons now have e-mail programs where you can email inmates from home. You can also video chat with inmates from home using your own webcam and mic via your PC or laptop using services like https://www.inmatecanteen.com/

While some of these crimes are horrific and I think we all want to throw away the key, remember, there are also the victims of the inmates family, Mom's, Dad's, Aunt''s, Uncle's, Brother's and Sisters,Cousins and especially Husbands and Wives. Their mental health is also important.

So there is a lot to consider.

Many Colleges have Prison management courses. So this is a serious subject matter.

Some of the con's however are making the prisoners too comfy. Also, it's well known that prisons have become big business and huge money makers. Many states are looking at this closely now with even some states / federal government passing lows and or creating watchdog groups to monitor private prison systems.

If you want to kill ten minutes, do a google search for 'prisoner services canteen' and you can then find and be able to browse different prison canteens around the country and perhaps even the world. Some of you guys would be shocked at what an inmate can buy.

 

[SixFootDuo]

So wait they get 3 meals a day and tablets and don't have to work.. So what's there punishment again? Feel like this is time out for adults with play time.. Really need to bring back hard labor, break stones all day for 8 hours , then maybe you can have some tablet time.

Let's thank god you're not in control or in a position to influence or make such decisions. Hard labor proved to be ineffective decades ago. But, sounds like you would make an excellent prison administrator in Mexico, Brazil and perhaps Russia. I can already see you sitting down and taking bribes or exploiting prisoners.

With all that said, I have to admit, when I was younger I had the occasional fantasy of being a Prison Warden at an all women's prison ... hahahha.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

The reasons why prisons are considering allowing these types of items is not to make the prisoners 'comfy' .... it's a tool to pacify them from violence, to combat gangs and gang activity and most importantly to help with an inmates mental health and stability. There are probably many other reasons.

Also, people who are imprisoned have lost their freedom. This doesn't mean we torture them further by feeding them bread and water and keeping them locked up in solitaire confinement with the lights out.

Also, many may not know this but most prisons have reward systems in place for good behavior that allow inmates to purchase MP3 players, songs, Televisions, Food, Candy, Healthcare products, shoes, clothing and and in some cases, fruits and vegetables. Many prisons now have e-mail programs where you can email inmates from home. You can also video chat with inmates from home using your own webcam and mic via your PC or laptop using services like https://www.inmatecanteen.com/

While some of these crimes are horrific and I think we all want to throw away the key, remember, there are also the victims of the inmates family, Mom's, Dad's, Aunt''s, Uncle's, Brother's and Sisters,Cousins and especially Husbands and Wives. Their mental health is also important.

So there is a lot to consider.

Many Colleges have Prison management courses. So this is a serious subject matter.

Some of the con's however are making the prisoners too comfy. Also, it's well known that prisons have become big business and huge money makers. Many states are looking at this closely now with even some states / federal government passing lows and or creating watchdog groups to monitor private prison systems.

If you want to kill ten minutes, do a google search for 'prisoner services canteen' and you can then find and be able to browse different prison canteens around the country and perhaps even the world. Some of you guys would be shocked at what an inmate can buy.

Many people seem to forget that the end goal (unless someone has a life without parole, or death sentence) is to rehabilitate the prisoners so they can some day re-enter society, not some form of retaliatory revenge punishment.

As the article states, the intent of the tablets is to help educate inmates, as well as keep them in touch with their families. I just hope they are adequately locked down.

You don't want to be in a management position in that penal system when the news story breaks that "prisoner used state provided tablet to run crime empire" or something like that They do say that a company that specifically makes tablets for prisons is being contracted, so I'm guessing that is something already being considered.

 

[Jailer]

They're locked down. Prisoners are only allowed access to approved items available to them from the vendor and they have to be tethered to a kiosk for a connection. No web browsing whatsoever. Emails are monitored just like all phone calls are.

 

[SixFootDuo]

I had an Uncle die in prison in Huntsville Texas. He served 20+ years before he died in his late 50's. Back in the day, they gave you 10 felonies. On you're 10th you were labeled a habitual criminal and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. His 10th felony was stealing a $5 dollar item from a drug store in the very early 80's. Seems harsh but I think they gave him a felony based upon his past felonies. I really don't know.

I had a Brother spend some years of his young life in prison in Alaska sometime in his 20's. A waste. he wanted to sell dope. Now you can legally have a certain amount of dope on you now in the state of Alaska.

I have a good friend now sitting in a federal detention center waiting on the DA to see if they let him loose or sentence him. They are piling on the charges now but he tells me that doesn't mean he will go to court with those charges. They could drop them or plea / negotiate them down or away. He mentions that for first time offenders of a non-violent crime, they often at times give you a year and a day. He has young kids and a wife who is struggling. So it's a heart breaking story for everyone evolved.

I'm biased obviously but these are great tools for inmates and I say that with all due respect to the victims of these crimes.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

I had an Uncle die in prison in Huntsville Texas. He served 20+ years before he died in his late 50's. Back in the day, they gave you 10 felonies. On you're 10th you were labeled a habitual criminal and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. His 10th felony was stealing a $5 dollar item from a drug store in the very early 80's. Seems harsh but I think they gave him a felony based upon his past felonies. I really don't know.

I had a Brother spend some years of his young life in prison in Alaska sometime in his 20's. A waste. he wanted to sell dope. Now you can legally have a certain amount of dope on you now in the state of Alaska.

I have a good friend now sitting in a federal detention center waiting on the DA to see if they let him loose or sentence him. They are piling on the charges now but he tells me that doesn't mean he will go to court with those charges. They could drop them or plea / negotiate them down or away. He mentions that for first time offenders of a non-violent crime, they often at times give you a year and a day. He has young kids and a wife who is struggling. So it's a heart breaking story for everyone evolved.

I'm biased obviously but these are great tools for inmates and I say that with all due respect to the victims of these crimes.

I agree with you but WOW. That's a lot of near personal experience with the criminal justice system.

It sounds like your Uncle had some sort of compulsive theft disorder, and it is really sad that caused him to spend his life in prison instead of getting treatment for it.

I know I live in an intellectual bubble within an intellectual bubble having spent most of my adult life in or around Cambridge, MA, so it's not necessarily representative of the country as a whole, but I have never known anyone who went to prison.

(I've also never known anyone who served in the military, and know very few people who don't have at least one degree, if not advanced degrees)

Very different worlds I guess, despite the fact that most of us live in the same country.

 

[SvenBent]

USA: Prison should be a punishment
Other cuontries: Prison should fix their bad behavior. let u even have prisons without bar or fences

USA: insane high crime rate. 70+ of inmates return after release
Other Countries: very low crime rates ( I don't have the return rate)


maybe instead of trying to evaluate prisong out of revenges mentality. we should try to look at it with a repair the problem mentality. How many people would have been saved if we have a more moderne prison mentality...

 

[Miikun]

USA: Prison should be a punishment
Other cuontries: Prison should fix their bad behavior. let u even have prisons without bar or fences

USA: insane high crime rate. 70+ of inmates return after release
Other Countries: very low crime rates ( I don't have the return rate)


maybe instead of trying to evaluate prisong out of revenges mentality. we should try to look at it with a repair the problem mentality. How many people would have been saved if we have a more moderne prison mentality...

Lots of countries also separate out the mentally ill during trial and put them into treatment. The US just throws them in to prisons, and punish them repeatedly when they get released and get surprised when they come back after they are indoctrinated. But oh yeah, they can't afford to have health insurance anyway so they can't fix themselves, and the government somehow thinks that it's cheaper to house them indefinitely in the system of private for-profit jails than to treat the disease. Our tax dollars at work!

 

[cortexodus]

USA: Prison should be a punishment
Other cuontries: Prison should fix their bad behavior. let u even have prisons without bar or fences

USA: insane high crime rate. 70+ of inmates return after release
Other Countries: very low crime rates ( I don't have the return rate)


maybe instead of trying to evaluate prisong out of revenges mentality. we should try to look at it with a repair the problem mentality. How many people would have been saved if we have a more moderne prison mentality...

That's because we operate on principles instead of basing our policies on outcomes. We're stupid as shit in the US about this sort of thing.

 

[prime2515102]

It's probably a good idea because it would cut down on violence in prison by turning them into mindless zombies like the people walking around in the streets zoned out on their phones.

 

[mope54]

I agree with you but WOW. That's a lot of near personal experience with the criminal justice system.

It sounds like your Uncle had some sort of compulsive theft disorder, and it is really sad that caused him to spend his life in prison instead of getting treatment for it.

I know I live in an intellectual bubble within an intellectual bubble having spent most of my adult life in or around Cambridge, MA, so it's not necessarily representative of the country as a whole, but I have never known anyone who went to prison.

(I've also never known anyone who served in the military, and know very few people who don't have at least one degree, if not advanced degrees)

Very different worlds I guess, despite the fact that most of us live in the same country.

Speaking as someone with a doctorate degree and a lot of near personal experience with the criminal justice experience, too, I suspect that you might be surprised to find out who does or doesn't have similar life experiences as he detailed (either directly or indirectly). In criminal justice, it's called "net widening."

 

[mynamehere]

Silly me, here I was thinking that prison should be a place that makes you willing to take any job, no matter how degrading, that will keep you EVER having to go back.

 

[Miikun]

Silly me, here I was thinking that prison should be a place that makes you willing to take any job, no matter how degrading, that will keep you EVER having to go back.

I think the revolving door metrics indicate that's not working out the way you think it should, and that's why they're trying something different. Also, if they let prisoners make VOIP phone calls to family on their tablets, we won't have phone companies price gouging prisoners http://time.com/6672/prison-phone-rates/ I mean I'm all for making a buck but the private prison system has evolved into a monopoly to bleed every dollar from both the taxpayer and the inmates.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

I think the revolving door metrics indicate that's not working out the way you think it should, and that's why they're trying something different. Also, if they let prisoners make VOIP phone calls to family on their tablets, we won't have phone companies price gouging prisoners http://time.com/6672/prison-phone-rates/ I mean I'm all for making a buck but the private prison system has evolved into a monopoly to bleed every dollar from both the taxpayer and the inmates.

Which is why policymakers really ought to consult with more sociologists and students of psychology before pursuing public policy.

A lot of human behavior is really goddamn Counter-Strike, and it turns out using g punishments as deterrence for crime really does not work at all, which is why the death penalty is so completely ineffective.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Which is why policymakers really ought to consult with more sociologists and students of psychology before pursuing public policy.

A lot of human behavior is really goddamn Counter-Strike, and it turns out using g punishments as deterrence for crime really does not work at all, which is why the death penalty is so completely ineffective.

Lol, and by "Counter-Strike" I mean "counter-intuitive".

Usually I just edit these out, but this one was too funny. Thanks phone!

 

[Prisoner849]

Inmate smacked to death with a tablet. News at 11. Etc...

 

[Miikun]

Which is why policymakers really ought to consult with more sociologists and students of psychology before pursuing public policy.

A lot of human behavior is really goddamn Counter-Strike, and it turns out using g punishments as deterrence for crime really does not work at all, which is why the death penalty is so completely ineffective.

We're a democracy, so nobody trusts the experts Seriously though, I think that for people who are imprisoned due to circumstances of poverty/drug abuse (which seem to be the sheer majority of those incarcerated) rehabilitation does work. Then we have the mentally ill, who are best treated and released or incarcerated in a mental facility (not that we have those in any quantity anymore) to prevent them from hurting others/themselves but are essentially blameless if we accept that mental illness exists, they can then be productive and repay their victims. Next we have political prisoners, who need to be kept in constant threat to keep their loved ones in check. Finally, we have those violent sociaopathic/psychopathic types which really just need to be caged since there's a lot of risk just attempting to fix them, they probably should be kept separate from those being rehabilitated so they don't taint the rest, but can be mixed in with the political prisoners to give the government power over them by selecting their roomates. Unfortunately, we seem to treat all prisoners the same when we really need to segregate them and address each group appropriately.

 

[Miikun]

Inmate smacked to death with a tablet. News at 11. Etc...

They should make them out of unbreakable polycarbonate, and round so they have no sharp corners. Then they can all reenact Tron with their glowing data disks.

 

[Jailer]

Which is why policymakers really ought to consult with more sociologists and students of psychology before pursuing public policy.

Yeah but that doesn't win many elections.

 

[Tweak42]

I get all the good reasons for implementing this, but I'm jaded that the program will be abused not just by the prisoners but corporate profiteers and politicians.

 

[vegeta535]

That's because we operate on principles instead of basing our policies on outcomes. We're stupid as shit in the US about this sort of thing.

No we operate on the all mighty dollar. A great deal of prisons are privately own for profit. It is not in their interest to help people get better and be set free.

 

[lollerwaffle]

So wait they get 3 meals a day and tablets and don't have to work.. So what's there punishment again? Feel like this is time out for adults with play time.. Really need to bring back hard labor, break stones all day for 8 hours , then maybe you can have some tablet time.

The punishment is lack of freedom. That you are taking it for granted doesn't make it a commodity.

To address your specific concerns: a prisoner, who is a human being, should NOT have 3 meals a day? Why not? What are you going to make better in this world by having prisoners be very hungry?

And regarding tablets, a benign cost to the system, what is your problem with people who have real problems getting a chance to at least look at the world via the internet? Do you think they should sit in solitary? Or some other way "pay"?

THEY ARE IN PRISON. THEY CAN NOT GO WHERE THEY WANT OR SEE WHO THEY WANT.

God damn I hate this idea that because someone made a serious mistake that we can condemn to being fucked forever. They are humans. Fuck people who think a prisoner should not be fed properly or have a chance to rejoin society. YOU make a mistake, PLEASE, and let's see how you like it.

EDIT was "non-commodity" to "commodity", silly of me.

 

[Makeroflostsouls]

Wow you all completely are missing what I was trying to say. Yes they are locked up , but they have a nice roof over there head and they are feed 3 meals a day and get to watch TV use the internet and whatever else , work out and all that. I just believe they should have to at least contribute in some way to earn those things. We have people that are homeless, kids going with out food. But yet you fuck up in life and you get well taken care of while sitting on your ass. I'm all about reform. I just believe they should have to work for the things we are providing to them on our hard earned money through tax dollars. I'm paying for some one that hurt some one else or killed or raped some one else , to have internet time while other people are hurting and going hungry I personally have an issue with it. Teach the ones that aren't violent offenders a trade and have them use that trade while they are in prison. I just feel they should have to work for what they are giving just like every one else. They chose to break the law for whatever reason , that was there choice.

 

[Ieldra]

Wow you all completely are missing what I was trying to say. Yes they are locked up , but they have a nice roof over there head and they are feed 3 meals a day and get to watch TV use the internet and whatever else , work out and all that. I just believe they should have to at least contribute in some way to earn those things. We have people that are homeless, kids going with out food. But yet you fuck up in life and you get well taken care of while sitting on your ass. I'm all about reform. I just believe they should have to work for the things we are providing to them on our hard earned money through tax dollars. I'm paying for some one that hurt some one else or killed or raped some one else , to have internet time while other people are hurting and going hungry I personally have an issue with it. Teach the ones that aren't violent offenders a trade and have them use that trade while they are in prison. I just feel they should have to work for what they are giving just like every one else. They chose to break the law for whatever reason , that was there choice.

You realize there's a strong correlation between crime and poverty right ? It's not like criminals come from a separate pool of people that are living the swag life.

 

[cortexodus]

God damn I hate this idea that because someone made a serious mistake that we can condemn to being fucked forever. They are humans. Fuck people who think a prisoner should not be fed properly or have a chance to rejoin society. YOU make a mistake, PLEASE, and let's see how you like it.

"Things that are bad are only bad when they happen to me, personally. Fuck other people." <- 'merica

 

[Void]

Wow you all completely are missing what I was trying to say. Yes they are locked up , but they have a nice roof over there head and they are feed 3 meals a day and get to watch TV use the internet and whatever else , work out and all that. I just believe they should have to at least contribute in some way to earn those things. We have people that are homeless, kids going with out food. But yet you fuck up in life and you get well taken care of while sitting on your ass. I'm all about reform. I just believe they should have to work for the things we are providing to them on our hard earned money through tax dollars. I'm paying for some one that hurt some one else or killed or raped some one else , to have internet time while other people are hurting and going hungry I personally have an issue with it. Teach the ones that aren't violent offenders a trade and have them use that trade while they are in prison. I just feel they should have to work for what they are giving just like every one else. They chose to break the law for whatever reason , that was there choice.

A few know my past post about me stating I did 7 years in NYS prison system. So I have a bit of knowledge about NY prison. As an inmate they do get to take a trade class, as long as we score high enough on test so they don't have to take schooling classes to work towards a GED. I took small engine repair. We repaired all of the prison tractors and mowers. That in return saved the state a ton of money by not having to pay a civilian big money to do it. Just like some of the other trade classes. Inmates do the painting, cooking, cleaning and the mowing of the grass in and around the prison. So in essence the NY inmates are doing something to help save money while in return they get to learn something and stay busy. Very few NYS prison inmates get to just sit on their ass all day. I cant speak for other states but in NY you have to do something even if its just sweeping, moping and buffing floors.

 

[boomslang06]

The reasons why prisons are considering allowing these types of items is not to make the prisoners 'comfy' .... it's a tool to pacify them from violence, to combat gangs and gang activity and most importantly to help with an inmates mental health and stability. There are probably many other reasons.

Also, people who are imprisoned have lost their freedom. This doesn't mean we torture them further by feeding them bread and water and keeping them locked up in solitaire confinement with the lights out.

Also, many may not know this but most prisons have reward systems in place for good behavior that allow inmates to purchase MP3 players, songs, Televisions, Food, Candy, Healthcare products, shoes, clothing and and in some cases, fruits and vegetables. Many prisons now have e-mail programs where you can email inmates from home. You can also video chat with inmates from home using your own webcam and mic via your PC or laptop using services like https://www.inmatecanteen.com/

While some of these crimes are horrific and I think we all want to throw away the key, remember, there are also the victims of the inmates family, Mom's, Dad's, Aunt''s, Uncle's, Brother's and Sisters,Cousins and especially Husbands and Wives. Their mental health is also important.

So there is a lot to consider.

Many Colleges have Prison management courses. So this is a serious subject matter.

Some of the con's however are making the prisoners too comfy. Also, it's well known that prisons have become big business and huge money makers. Many states are looking at this closely now with even some states / federal government passing lows and or creating watchdog groups to monitor private prison systems.

If you want to kill ten minutes, do a google search for 'prisoner services canteen' and you can then find and be able to browse different prison canteens around the country and perhaps even the world. Some of you guys would be shocked at what an inmate can buy.

i bet you wouldnt be saying any of that if some one killed your loved one

 

[aaronspink]

Wow you all completely are missing what I was trying to say. Yes they are locked up , but they have a nice roof over there head and they are feed 3 meals a day and get to watch TV use the internet and whatever else , work out and all that. I just believe they should have to at least contribute in some way to earn those things. We have people that are homeless, kids going with out food. But yet you fuck up in life and you get well taken care of while sitting on your ass. I'm all about reform. I just believe they should have to work for the things we are providing to them on our hard earned money through tax dollars. I'm paying for some one that hurt some one else or killed or raped some one else , to have internet time while other people are hurting and going hungry I personally have an issue with it. Teach the ones that aren't violent offenders a trade and have them use that trade while they are in prison. I just feel they should have to work for what they are giving just like every one else. They chose to break the law for whatever reason , that was there choice.

In many if not most prisons, inmates end up doing the vast majority of work to make the place run. Most daily tasks are handled by inmates as well as most maintenance. The only prisoners that tend not to do any work are those in high security with issues, max, and super max prisons. In max/super max prisons, inmates tend to live entirely in there cells (which in supermax is basically 24/7 solitary).