Indiana's Inmates Could Soon Have Access To Tablets (abc57.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from ABC57 News in South Bend, Indiana: 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. The proposal was first filed in January. Apple iPad's or kindles won't be used. Instead, a company that makes tablets specifically for prisons or jails will be hired. One San Francisco based-company they may consider, Telmate, has a device that is used in more than 20 states, including some jails in Marshall County. INDOC is hoping a vendor will front the costs of the entertainment apps so taxpayers won't have to. INDOC also says it wants to avoid charging inmate fees because charging fees that they can't afford would defeat the purpose of the system. If the company selected pays, the vendor would be reimbursed and still earn a profit.

Comments

Why not?

[Ol Olsoc]

I know the get tough on crime crowd will be throwing a massive shit-fit, but if you can give them something to occupy their time, it might be less shit going down in there.

Re:Why not?

[OzPeter]

How about "occupying their time" with work such as making license plates, breaking big rocks into smaller rocks, digging holes, filling in holes, etc.?

And when they get out their only possible skill set will be "making license plates, breaking big rocks into smaller rocks, digging holes, filling in holes, etc.". At least with a tablet the have the possibility of learning something of value.

Re:Why not?

[Striek]

Hmmm - prison = food, clothing, shelter, in some cases a good gym membership and now your own tablet with internet and skype and probably easy access to porn.

What's the deterrent to crime then?

First, you need to give up your freedom. Be denied all contact with all other humans, and be cut off from the world. You'd need to accept spending years like that. For years, you will not see a sunrise, or a rolling ocean. For years, you cannot join a motorcycle club. For years, even the possibility of a pleasant walk will elude you. You'll miss the spring flowers, the greens of summer, and the spectacle of autumn - for years. And for years, you will not feel wind in your hair or the sun on your face.

If you're willing to give up all that in exchange for a tablet, a treadmill, and three square a day, well sir, kudos to you. I wouldn't.

For the slow of mind - prison, in a modern society, is not meant to be a deterrent - that's why we call it corrections. Modern civil societies have rehabilitative prisons, not punitive prisons. (Almost) everyone in prison is getting out eventually. You'd better plan for that.

Re:Why not?

[BarbaraHudson]

Prison != solitary confinement. That would be far too expensive. You get to see sunrises and sunsets, you get to play sports, you get your 3 square meals a day and all medical expenses covered. And if you think that "joining a motorcycle club" is just about riding motor cycles, you need to talk to a few Satan's Choice or Hells Angels members. The clubs function just fine in prisons, controlling much of the drug trade.

For the homeless, prison looks like a damn fine deal.

Re:Why not?

[pete6677]

Norway consists of a mostly peaceful homogeneous society. Send them a few hundred thousand MS-13s who are from places where human life is very cheap, and see what happens to their society. It will break apart really fast.

For profit prison industry ...

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Remember we are talking about "innovation" coming from for-profit prisons.

They operate on cost plus contracts, with practically unlimited access to tax payer funds. If some court somewhere rules "inmates must have access to gym equipment", they could build a 2 million dollar gym in the prison and mop up 20% of it or build 20K gym and get 20% of that. Which one would they choose?

These prison companies charge 2 $ a minute for a phone call. Yes, in this day and age of unlimited voice and data, voice calls out of prison costs the inmates or their families 2$ a minute. Do you think this new fangled tablets are going to provided to them at reasonable costs you and I pay outside the prisons? You have not seen the twinkling dollar signs in the eyes of prison management executives.

The prison companies pressure judges to use harsh prison sentences using social media and slanted local news coverage. Lobby the legislators for minimum sentencing guidelines. Encourage law suites that will increase the cost of incarceration. More it costs, more is their margin! They also actually bribe judges to be harsh. Only a few judges like the one in Wilkes-Barry PA got caught, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

We have to outlaw private sector prisons. It is a crying shame USA has the highest incarceration rate in the world and adding insult to injury we are paying through our noses for it.

What about schools?

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't get me wrong, I don't really have an issue with inmates getting tablets. I just can't help but wonder how states have funds for programs like this but funding for education still suffers.