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Jails Are Replacing Visits With Video Calls (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: In recent years, more and more jails have introduced video-calling services. Theoretically, these products could make it easier for inmates to maintain their relationships with family and friends outside. But many jails have moved in the opposite direction, using the advent of these "video visitation" services as an excuse to restrict or eliminate traditional in-person visits.
There are a number of reasons jail administrators have gone this route. But critics say that money plays a big role. In-person visitation requires more staff supervision -- both to escort inmates to and from visitation rooms and to make sure no contraband changes hands during a visit. So switching to video visitation can save cash-strapped jails money.
But jails also profit more directly from limiting in-person visits. While on-site video visits are usually free, the companies providing the system generally offer a paid off-site video-calling service, too. And jails get a hefty percentage of that money.
There are a number of reasons jail administrators have gone this route. But critics say that money plays a big role. In-person visitation requires more staff supervision -- both to escort inmates to and from visitation rooms and to make sure no contraband changes hands during a visit. So switching to video visitation can save cash-strapped jails money.
But jails also profit more directly from limiting in-person visits. While on-site video visits are usually free, the companies providing the system generally offer a paid off-site video-calling service, too. And jails get a hefty percentage of that money.
(1) Keeps inmates sane. (2) Keeps inmates compliant. (3) Reduces instances of sex between inmates. (4) Keeps inmates connected to the world outside the walls. Social support network and significant others are important in preventing recidivism. CA and NY, states that actually pretend to care about rehabilitation, have kept them for that reason.
Healthcare, prisons, and education, should never be run for profit, as this amounts to an automatic restriction of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Prisoners can fight back. Refuse to participate in any work release program. Refuse to participate in any prison line work program (laundry, kitchen, etc...) Making private prisons a losing financial proposition will force the state to implement prison reforms.
Good people go to bed earlier.
L-O-L. Many states don't care about reducing recidivism. Let 'em go, lock 'em back up. After all, we have private prisons to fill and kickbacks (I mean, contract bonuses) to collect.
They'd be better off using both, to be honest. Video is not a replacement for friendly human contact in person. All other in-perosn human contact in a prison (with jailers, other inmates) is likely to be abusive.
A good way to warp someone's mind is to only allow them abusive/coersive human contact.
In before the "they deserve hell on Earth because they were caught with a small amount of drugs or stole something worth $100" authoritarian crowd chimes in. Anyway, in-person human contact in a prison -- from jailers (not "correction officers") and other inmates is likely to be violent and abusive. Giving inmates the opportunity at loving contact with family, friends, and spouses (yes, conjugal should be allowed) makes them more likely to be sane upon being released. Removing all normal human contact makes psychological damage and violence more likely after release.
I understand the need to save money. But money is best saved by non locking up non-violent drug offenders -- what adults put into their own bodies should be their own choice. Same with diverting petty thieves, the homeless, non-functional addicts, and the mentally ill to community service, shelters, and mental health therapy as appropriate.
But hey. It's America. We'd rather punish than treat. Because Puritanism.
The prison service in the US is run as a profit-centre.
Literally no civilised country in the world sees incarceration rates, or such profit from the prison services, as the US has.
Basically, the US keeps modern-day slaves of the prison population, in for-profit prisons, thus giving it the incentive to incarcerate as many people as possible (contrary to almost every other country which is trying to CUT their prison population and spending money to do so).
Ironically, the US forbids buying items produced in foreign prisons but makes more of them than any other country in the world.
And if you don't bother reducing recidivism, you can make the case that "once a criminal, always a criminal." Then, you push for harsher sentencing and longer jail times. This results in more people in prison, more profits for those private prisons, and more votes for those "tough on crime" politicians.
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Where there is not a public safety concern, inmates should be given the occasional day pass to visit friends and family outside the prison, and return afterward. Likewise, they should be allowed to hold jobs outside the prison. Whenever possible and with no requirements on time served, they should be transitioned to parole in so far as the public safety risk is assessed to allow such transition. Parole fees must be abolished.
The environment inside prison should resemble the ideal societal environment as much as possible: prisoners must be treated with dignity respective of their value as human beings, and their individual needs must be met. All surfaces within the prison must be scrubbed clean at all times; proper hygiene must be available; and communication with the outside world must be retained.
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Where there is not a public safety concern, inmates should be given the occasional day pass to visit friends and family outside the prison, and return afterward. Likewise, they should be allowed to hold jobs outside the prison. Whenever possible and with no requirements on time served, they should be transitioned to parole in so far as the public safety risk is assessed to allow such transition. Parole fees must be abolished.
It's a political problem. No politician wants to risk being Willy Horton'd because of such a program; no matter how much sense reforms such as those might make. Even if the program ran smoothly they'd still fear the "(Insert politicians name and bad B&W photo) released thousands of convicted criminals into your neighbor hoods." ads.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
Fact of the matter is, that's how people on average react, and that's who he's referring to. You're probably upper-middle-class with an education, can see past the end of your own nose, and have upper-middle-class friends, who likewise have an education and can see past the end of their own noses; the 'average' person is not you or your friends, the 'average' person doesn't think enough moves ahead to really consider what the long-term effects of anything is, and they think with their emotions more often than not and not their intellect, so you get knee-jerk reactions to 'criminals' ("lock 'em up for good!"). Sad but true.
It's the result of the way you dehumanize them in the prisons. There are plenty of examples of how to do it the right way, in Europe but also in the US. For a start, Americans could stop jokingly accepting prison rape as a means of punishment....