No Grand Theft Auto In Prison?

Thanks to Frictionless Insight for pointing to an Australian article discussing a judge's suggestion that Grand Theft Auto-style games not be available in prison. According to the report, "Bradley Scott McConkey... led police on a 200km car chase at speeds of up to 180 kilometres per hour, as well as stealing cars at knifepoint and committing armed robbery on two businesses", and additionally, "...a psychologist's report said McConkey had played Playstation's Grand Theft Auto during a previous jail term." Due to the similarity of the games and the crime, the judge suggested "...the appropriateness of Grand Theft Auto-style games in a prison environment was questionable", since it "provides opportunities for rehearsing their destructive activities."

Comments

Video Games in Prison?

[saden1]

Oh my, my tax dollars are paying for that now? I want a Console for x-mass, send me one Uncle Sam!

Ok.... what?!?!

[hawkbug]

Maybe I'm ignorant here, but I'm not surprised by the fact that they can't play GTA in prison... I'm surprised by the fact they have video games at ALL in prison. This is news to me. Maybe I should go rob somebody so I can get free food and housing, and now PS2 games in the slammer...

Just Change It

[cybermage]

Don't take GTA away from them, just give them a version where they get gunned down in a hail of bullets within seconds of commiting a crime.

A little conditioning goes a long way.

The problem with Australians is...

[psxndc]

The problem with Australians is they are too tough. The judge was probably like "Only seven counts? Pansy. Six years!"

This is a nation founded as a prison colony. They think Rugby isn't rough enough so they made up Australian Rugby. They are psychos down there. Have you ever tried drinking with an Australian?? They have a death wish!

I don't question anything the Australians have done, except maybe using PAL instead of NTSC. I mean these are the people that "Hey, Paul Hogan and Yahoo Serious: Get out!" Sound like a bright and psychotic bunch those Aussies

psxndc

Rehearsal for real life crimes?

[Violet Null]

Sure, I guess GTA can be used as a rehearsal for real life crimes, as long as those real life crimes assume the following facts apply in the real world...

• Police are willing to overlook any crime -- even the slaughter of dozens of policeman -- with a few bribes. Or, even easier, by having your car spray painted another color.
• A car can undergo any trauma -- even falling from the roof of a building or cliff or ramming another car at full speed -- and still provide complete protection and allow at least seven seconds getaway before it blows up.
• High powered weapons can be found in obscure corners.
• You never run out of gas.
• Car doors are hardly ever locked.
• You can carjack any car you want simply by stepping in front of it, waiting for it to stop (which it will always do), and then removing the driver from the car, which is never resisted.
• Cops don't care if you flagrantly violate traffic rules.
• If, somehow, you die or get arrested, you only lose a little amount of money, and your weapons.

Yep, assume all that, and it is a highly useful simulation.

I remember these!

[Sevn]

Bradley Scott McConkey led police on a 200km car chase at speeds of up to 180 kilometres per hour, as well as stealing cars at knifepoint and committing armed robbery on two businesses. If he spent a total of 15 minutes stealing cars at knifepoint, and commiting armed robbery while maintaining a total average speed of 155kph when he was driving, how big is his butthole now?

Re:Uh, video games in prison?

[La Temperanza]

This just in: A gruesome murder was committed in which a family of four was trapped inside their house for two weeks by an insane killer before starving to death.

The flamboyant perpetrator, billing himself "The Playa", somehow removed all the windows and doors, replaced the flooring with concrete, and destroyed all furniture including the toilet and refrigirator while the family was inside. "There was a noise, it sounded kinda like 'Paused, and everything changed," describes the half-eaten diary of Mya Sim, twelve years old.

Just as mysteriously, none of the neighbors noticed the family's plight until it was far too late, despite the house's drastically altered appearance. The police were finally tipped off by someone with the alias of "Game Over", thought to be a rival underground figure.