• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Should prisoners have access to modern technologies?

Prisoners should have access to the following modern technologies...

  • Internet

    Votes: 5 20.8%

  • Phone

    Votes: 12 50.0%

  • TV

    Votes: 13 54.2%

  • Radio

    Votes: 13 54.2%

  • Special prison TV and radio programms only

    Votes: 8 33.3%

  • HiFi stereo

    Votes: 3 12.5%

  • Personal media player

    Votes: 5 20.8%

  • Dunno

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 8 33.3%
  • Total voters
    24
Tigger said:
None should be released. At least not outside of a plastic bag.
Click to expand...

So your weigh-in on this debate is to say that there should be three possible outcomes to criminal trials: Not guilty, Life In Prison, or Death Penalty?
 
Depends on the sentence in my estimation. If someone is serving out a life sentence, then I see little need for technological use outside of phone calls and the occasional news programs/limited radio use. If one is scheduled to be released in the perceivable future, they should be allowed access aimed at keeping them somewhat informed and connected with the outside world in order to aid them in assimilating back into normal life outside of bars.
 
If prisoners had access to all those things then it's no longer a prison. It's more like a resort.
 
Paschendale said:
I do not understand the desire to dehumanize prisoners. If we treat them like dirt, why should we expect them not to act like dirt when they're released? Taking retribution on them will only cause them to want retribution against us.
Click to expand...

if i'm not mistaken, they are in prison for treating us like dirt to begin with.... usually through some felonious crime.

anyways, I think the level of prisoner should determine who gets what...
low level criminals should get better treatment, as they will most likely be rejoining society and their crimes aren't that serious.
high level criminals should get 3 hots and a cot... and not much else.
the only luxury item I would place in their cell is a toilet.
 
What prisoners should have access to is education, job training, therapy, counseling and rehabilitation assistance.

Screw the other stuff and the weights and all the other nonsense.
 
haymarket said:
What prisoners should have access to is education, job training, therapy, counseling and rehabilitation assistance.

Screw the other stuff and the weights and all the other nonsense.
Click to expand...

what if they are serving a life sentence?.. do we still heap benefits on them?
 
Thrilla said:
if i'm not mistaken, they are in prison for treating us like dirt to begin with.... usually through some felonious crime.

anyways, I think the level of prisoner should determine who gets what...
low level criminals should get better treatment, as they will most likely be rejoining society and their crimes aren't that serious.
high level criminals should get 3 hots and a cot... and not much else.
the only luxury item I would place in their cell is a toilet.
Click to expand...

Of course, Ruiz changed everything. Inmates don't even necessarily have to work, and when they do, they are sometimes paid in days served. For serious crime this isn't right, IMO.
 
They should be able to have anything that does not pose a threat to the safe and secure running of the facility or to the public.


TV, Radio, Personal media player.
Theft being a given, there is no reason to restrict these in that setting as long as used with earbuds or headphones.
Without such, they can pose a threat.

Right now the phone is accessible and is monitored.
But the cost of such a system is exorbitant when it does not have to be, and is being shouldered by those that the inmates call.
The exorbitant costs are wrong and should be changed. The cost should be more reasonable and should not involve a profit.

Internet.
Unrestricted should not be allowed. A system that could be monitored and used for study and email access sure.
It would have to be monitored, with the costs of all, paid for by the inmates.
 
jamesrage said:
Since you didn't have that option I picked other. Prison is a punishment.The only thing they are entitled to is back breaking labor from sun to sun down, fortified bread, and water.
Click to expand...

Bread and water would hardly give them the calories for the labor. You must think Chinese prisons are great...
 
rocket88 said:
Bread and water would hardly give them the calories for the labor.
Click to expand...
If that bread and water is fortified it should give them calories necessary for labor.

You must think Chinese prisons are great...
Click to expand...
I do not know what Chinese prisons are like so I would have no idea if they are great or not.
 
Excon said:
They should be able to have anything that does not pose a threat to the safe and secure running of the facility or to the public.
Click to expand...

Unless its bolted down and behind a plexiglass wall inmates can make weapons practically out of anything.
 
I think they need to have access to phones and the internet for the purpose of communicating with lawyers and/or researching to represent themselves. And I think they should be able to call their families at least once every other week (for the sake of the families, if nothing else).

TV - as a general rule no, except I do think they should be kept up to date on the general news, so special prison TV and radio programs seems acceptable.
 
jamesrage said:
Unless its bolted down and behind a plexiglass wall inmates can make weapons practically out of anything.
Click to expand...
And?

These things matter not to such.

If an inmate wants to make, or buy a weapon they will do so.
Out of paper even.

That is why these are privileges, and can be restricted as a behavior modification.

Cassette players used to be used for their motors to make Tattoo guns.
Digital mp3 players can't. And I can't see most inmates wanting to loose their investment of such just to make (I do not know what kind of) a weapon.
A 18-20 oz pop/water bottle makes a better shank than a digital media player would.
 
Krhazy said:
I think they need to have access to phones and the internet for the purpose of communicating with lawyers and/or researching to represent themselves. And I think they should be able to call their families at least once every other week (for the sake of the families, if nothing else).

TV - as a general rule no, except I do think they should be kept up to date on the general news, so special prison TV and radio programs seems acceptable.
Click to expand...
Honestly. if they are sitting in Jail awaiting trial, the Jail staff are already over burdened. And the very limited amount of time that could be set up for a person to do research on the net, just isn't there.
Usually they have access to a law library. Volumes are brought to there cell.
But if they do not know how to use it, or even where to start looking, let alone how or where to start shepardizing cases, it pretty much is a moot issue.

If in Prison, there is more time and access. And with a law library there is no need for internet access for that specific thing.
 
Excon said:
And?

These things matter not to such.

If an inmate wants to make, or buy a weapon they will do so.
Out of paper even.

That is why these are privileges, and can be restricted as a behavior modification.
Click to expand...


Inmates can trade or steal stuff.

Cassette players used to be used for their motors to make Tattoo guns.
Digital mp3 players can't. And I can't see most inmates wanting to loose their investment of such just to make (I do not know what kind of) a weapon.
A 18-20 oz pop/water bottle makes a better shank than a digital media player would.
Click to expand...
Its not an investment if you steal it from another inmate.
 
jamesrage said:
Inmates can trade or steal stuff.
Click to expand...
Isn't that intimated in my responses?
And they get most of their "contraband" through the Guards.



jamesrage said:
Its not an investment if you steal it from another inmate.
Click to expand...
I would have to say that in the eyes of a thief, it most definitely is an investment in time and thought in getting it from the one they took it from.

But as for in house stealing .
There is getting sanctioned/held responsible for having property that does not belong to you.
It is a discouragement for most.
 
Thrilla said:
what if they are serving a life sentence?.. do we still heap benefits on them?
Click to expand...

there are life sentences that really do not mean life and can achieve release at some point and then there are life sentences that slam that door. So it would depend on those variables.

For somebody like a Charles Manson who will never get out - screw him and don't waste the money. But for my two cents - they should have fried his sorry behind decades ago and saved the continual expense.
 
haymarket said:
What prisoners should have access to is education, job training, therapy, counseling and rehabilitation assistance.

Screw the other stuff and the weights and all the other nonsense.
Click to expand...
That other stuff has the potential to lower costs.
When the inmates are occupied with such, it decreases the need for more supervision.
Their use allows frustrations to be released, which decreases the need for more supervision.
These items are low cost baby sitters, because they occupy the inmates time and thought.

If a goal is to decrease cost than these things should be allowed.
If a goal is to give all inmates areas that can occupy them, which also reduces costs, they should be allowed.

If not, ok.
 
Swagger Monster said:
What kind of prisoners are we talking about? Non-violent? Violent? People who have committed misdemeanors? Felons?

Also, what is prison's purpose? Is it to rehabilitate? To punish? To act as a barrier between the violent and innocent people?
Click to expand...

These would be people who have not committed violent crimes or people whose crimes were "crimes of passion". I do not believe our prison system has ever been to rehabilitate. If it was it failed miserably. They are crime universities.
For people who were arrested for drugs I proposed a true rehab facility where they can get help. I also support more "boot camp" type places for juvenile offenders and kids on the edge.
People who are repeat violent offenders or gang members should either go to prison where they can actually learn something or At my last level I proposed penal facilities which would be more like camps with the guards on the outside. I am being told that some countries are already doing this. If you search for prisons you will find alot of other threads on the subject. The topic seems to be "in" right now.
 
jamesrage said:
Why not in their last month or two keep that inmate separate from the rest of the inmates and focus on rehabilitation, during which they can taught about modern technology and other similar stuff?
Click to expand...

But is a couple of months long enough for them to get over their hate of the system? Rehab should be right away for those who can make use of it.
 
Thrilla said:
if i'm not mistaken, they are in prison for treating us like dirt to begin with.... usually through some felonious crime.
Click to expand...

So shouldn't we not sink to their level? We're better than they are, right? Here's our chance to prove it.
 
This is an excellent thread, a question constantly overlooked in our modern liberal brainwash.

If prison is supposed to be a punishment, then the prisoners should have no access to any technology. I would even take away the roof.
 
I couldnt answer

for me it depends on the prisoner and their behavior while they are in there

IMO prisons are too soft in many ways its PRISON not a mini vacation

yes some prisoners should have access to some of those things with the ablity to take away from them or add to them any time, others **** em' they dont get anything, jail house phones occasionally
 
ab9924 said:
If prison is supposed to be a punishment, ...
Click to expand...

Just in case you didn't know - Prison is supposed to be about Punishment, Deterrence and Rehabilitation.

Separation, as well as it's length, from Society is the Punishment and Deterrence portion. Although, I seriously doubt any professional believes it is a deterrence.
The rehab portion supposedly exists at some places, (varies from State to State) but overall, is very limited and cost (and many times sensibility) prohibitive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom