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

Uh, video games in prison?

[adamjaskie]

Why is my money paying for this? They shouldnt have tetris, let alone GTA. Hell, I dont have a playstation 2, why should a bank robber in jail?

Re:Uh, video games in prison?

[spencerogden]

I'm not one of theose people who think that video games make "do things". But I do think that providing entertainment to inmates is dumb. If you want entertainment, at least make it valuable, read a book or something. Like the origional poster said, I don't even own a playstation. I fail to see what benefit the availability of video games has towards rehabilitation.

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.

Re:Ok.... what?!?!

[isorox]

For us slashdotters with computers, homes, internet, and probably a lot more, prison still is a deterrent, but when I look at a guy I saw at the Oxford Circus Underground station a couple of weeks ago, white as a sheet, thin as a rake, looked really bad (I gave him all the change in my pocket, if I went that way frequently I'd be taking him sandwiches), and I wonder why the system fails. If you're out on the streets, genuinely starving, just throw a brick through a window and confess police station, at the very least you get a bed for the night.

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.

Changes needed

[Anonymous Coward]

They let inmates play video games, lift weights etc etc to keep them from rioting and raping each other. The same people whining about all these perks are the same people who would raise hell if any more money went into fixing the prison system; making them secure institutions that are harsh yet humane instead of a candyland for gangs.