Filed under: Security, Text, News, E-mail
Email behind bars, good or bad for inmates?
Prisoners in the UK may be getting text-only email as part of a new plan concocted in the UK's criminal justice system. The prisoners will not be able to send messages to more than their approved list of contacts, and cannot send pictures or attachments of any kind, nor receive them. Text-only messages will be allowed. The system has not been put into place, and won't be until certain safeguards are put in place to stop abuse of the system. The idea may work out, but I wondered if the inmates would end up getting spam or not. Hypothetically, being sure inmates get the kind of SPAM problems most of us get would frustrate them to no end as it does for those of us on the outside I imagine. I guess SPAM isn't a good way to help the convicted pay their debt to society, but at least it would level the playing field at least in email-land and teach those inside what to expect once they get out. SPAM, a new form of corporal punishment? You decide.
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The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Johnnyg0 said 6:35PM on 1-04-2007
What about UUcode? You can send a file as text that way. well.. I can guess they'll analyze these message
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Diddle said 7:40PM on 1-04-2007
They screwed up and got put in jail for a reason, they shouldn't have freedoms like email.
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OhBrotherWhereArtThou said 11:18PM on 1-04-2007
As someone who, sadly, has a brother who is incarcerated for the rest of his live, this would be a huge help to us, as his family, on the outside. He is thousands of miles away and its extremely hard on the family of an inmate, having this small ability to communicate more easily would help us and I think help with a more stable environment on the inside.
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OhBrotherWhereArtThou said 11:21PM on 1-04-2007
As someone who, sadly, has a brother who is incarcerated for the rest of his life, this would be a huge help to us, as his family, on the outside.
He is thousands of miles away and its extremely hard on the family of an inmate, having this small ability to communicate more easily would help us and I think help with a more stable environment on the inside.
It's all well and good to take positions like "they don't deserve anything" but try and appreciate the context of the broader family. Everyone is someone's child.
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Kiddie Car said 10:17AM on 1-05-2007
Some of the best cybersex I have ever had has been with inmates. Please don't take away their computers!
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Kerry said 10:18AM on 1-05-2007
I see Diddle's point and OhBrotherWHereArtThou's and can understand both points of view.
I believe that inmates have too may luxuries these days. They are supposed to be in prison to be punished for crimes against society, not to get FREE college degrees and Cable TV!!!
HOWEVER, OhBrotherWhereArtThou deserves contact with his family member. OhBrotherWhereArtThou did NOT commit a crime that has him/her in jail and therefore should not be punished by only having limited access to his/her brother. Text only email is a safe and convenient way for the family to communicate with this inmate. This is also the time when the brother will be most open to anything good the family has to say to him to bring light into his dark and troubled world.
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Dave M. said 11:49AM on 1-05-2007
My brother is locked up in a California State Prison, and the "luxuries" you speak of are non-existent in CA. Nothing is Free, inmates are put to work and their wages are only a small percentage of what it should be. Any "luxuries" such as books, educational materials, medical attention, or anything else that they get that isn't CDC issued is taken out of their funds. Prisons should help to rehabilitate those that will be joining society at some point, not teach them how to be better criminals.
As for emails for inmates, I feel that it would be positive. Every form of communication with the outside is monitored anyways so there shouldn't be any harm to the society. As previously mentioned, this would help out the loved ones of the inmate most of all.
Finally, correctional facilities are a business for politicians, the prison guard unions, and prosecutors. Each facility receives somewhere around $40k-60k per inmate per year. So the more people are put in, and kept in the more guards you need. The more guards, the bigger the union. The bigger the union, the more influence you have over the politicians. Unfortunately this is the way it is, and I don't wish anyone the experience of being put away, or having someone close being put away.
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bigmom said 2:53PM on 2-22-2007
There is now 1 Prison I forget where that has email but they have to pay for it.
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Diddle said 5:41PM on 1-06-2007
Sorry, I have no sympathy for persons who are in jail. (Sure there may be a minute fraction of 1% who may be wrongfully convicted but the rest are there for a reason).
Kerry is right - at least here in Canada, inmates can get 3 square meals, a free college education, exercise, work ... for some, it's a better life than the outside world. This isn't how it should be - our homeless people shouldn't be treated worse (or have a lesser lifestyle) than our criminals.
If inmates want to communicate they can do it the old fashioned way - letter mail.
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Ron Larson said 9:40PM on 1-07-2007
Good idea. It accomplishes two import things in regards to security with the prison. (1) It prevents the smuggling in of contraband inside paper mail. For example, LSD is brought in by being blotted on letters. (2) Helps break secret communications for criminal enterprises. Often criminal kingpins doing time give orders via hidden clues in letters. A text record of these emails will allow law enforcement to analysis patterns for further criminal prosecution.
So in that regard, I think that text email should be the ONLY way letters can be sent and received by inmates. Especially inmates involved in narcotics, gangs, or organized crime.
Hand written letters should be a privilege that is earned.
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James said 4:57PM on 1-09-2007
This might be a good idea, provided the ACLU (or a desperately misguided EFF) doesn't step in and try to claim that their email is "constitutionally-protected free speech" or some such horseshit. As long as the emails are all monitored and archived (and a notice is given that all outgoing AND incoming emails are subject to monitoring), I think it would be harmless at worst and possibly beneficial.
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