Israeli Court Says No Consoles For Prisoners

[jonyboy13]

As a citizen of this cursed country, I'd like to correct something.
The prisoner is in separation so the prison service decided, with the help of professional opinion that it can't be completely disconnected from any communication method.
Also, they say that actually blocking what they can of the communication, which requires to disassemble every console to the smallest part is highly inefficient, time consuming and doesn't reward well enough for the trouble.

You know, I might just kill a person if they let me have my ps2 in jail. From unemployed to self sustaining. Kinda.

 

[Fearzone]

Thank goodness for common sense.

Though, I can't see why they needed a WiFi excuse.

 

[Baresark]

People are looking at this the wrong way. When you have thousands of prisoners in a single place, the best thing you can do is pacify them in some way. I know it seems like a fun idea, but if you have a prison full of deviants, the best way to keep them pacified is not beating them. Also, you have rights as a prisoner still, you just aren't allowed to come and go as you please and you have to get everything okayed. Also, he would have (probably, not sure how the prison system works) payed for it himself. If he can raise the money, why not let him have it. Even though the Wifi thing is a good excuse.

 

[GeorgW]

I get the idea that a prison is supposed to be rehabilitating, but still, it's prison, there has to be a line between rehabilitation and punishment. I draw that line long before a $300 entertainment system.

 

[Dutch 924]

Damn straight; they're prisoners. You're not supposed to make prison appealing

 

[Nikolaz72]

Damn straight; they're prisoners. You're not supposed to make prison appealing

Prisons are for rehabilitation, not for 'satisfying the victims lust for revenge' Rehabilitation generally means making people better and more fit for soceity. Making them insane and institutionalize them will generally only serve to make their prison sentence, into a prolonged death sentence. Consoles make it easier to control prisoners aka fewer guards are needed. It is also a way to vent anger, which means fewer prisoners has to pass time by lifting weights and becomming buffed so that they can get into prison again once they get out. And its generally easier than reading a book, which many non-schooled prisoners have a hard time doing. On top of that, as arguement of console players. Consoles arent that expensive, and offline Xbox with its normal games library. If shared between several prisoners, is not more expensive than a couple of movies or a box of old books.

Now this might just be my country and the reason America (Now mind you this is Israel and you are in the UK. But Israel got theirs from the US. And they got theirs from the old UK, so its the same thing with the same public opinion) has 400/100.000 of their population in prison is because it 'is' for revenge instead of rehabilitation and in that case, forgive me for being uninformed. But as far as I know. Prisons objective is not to serve as the peoples punishment center. But rather an advanced reschooling. Behind locked doors and walls.

That is to those serving lighter sentences though, like say. Going in on drug possesion or theft. I agree that no consoles shall be given to murderers. And thats usually because they are beyond rehabilitation so they arent worth it.

 

[Alexander Cunningham]

Honestly. If I where in jail I think a PS3 would be fucking sweet. something to keep me busy in between shower sodomy and beatings.
Besides,I don't think too many prisons have wi-fi hotspots.

 

[KiloFox]

why was this even an ISSUE??? prisoners, are, PRISONERS! they gave UP the rights to entertainment when they committed a CRIME! they should NOT get TV, Games, and all that... if it were up to ME, they wouldn't even get a LIBRARY. they'd get food (and not good food... just what's needed to live) water (lukewarm), a bed (of shitty quality) and a cell (with not much room, and the necessary toilet and all) NO ENTERTAINMENT. their only activity outside their cell would be the "recess" every day. otherwise they'd have to MAKE their own activities inside cells. like... origami... writing... conversing with your cellmate... working out (apparently very big in prisons)... and THAT'S IT! FUCK CABLE, FUCK RADIO, FUCK GAMES! they're PRISONERS! they deserve NONE of that!

 

[JochemDude]

Welcome to civilization people, where even the scum of earth deserves decency and respect.

And honestly I agree, they go to prison to come out better. Not to rot away.

 

[loc978]

Hell, if they want entertainment, they already have access to books, older video games and TV, right? Sounds like they get more than enough already to me. I subsisted on less in the military.

 

[Zorg Machine]

I'm sorry what? Are you telling me I can go to jail down in Israel, which would;
-house me
-feed me
-let me play games[footnote]And I thought the swedish prisons was to nice to their criminals ._.[/footnote]
And I should work because???

Well, you could end up in a situation where you are playing mariokart against a powerful mob boss who could have you killed if you anger him...but he doesn't understand the controls and is constantly driving of the map.
also the lack of freedom, the lack of any good games (if there were any good games you would have to "endear" yourself with the the people hoarding them) and the fact that you are basically the very definition of a leech.

OT: So the fact is that prison guards and society in general is in danger due to strong criminals causing riots in prison. There is a way to reduce this risk but the general opinion here seems to be that "why should they have fun? let them wallow in their filth and cry all day because that is how we treat people we think are bad!"

Here in Sweden (quick quote, "Sweden has one of the greatest prison systems in the world") we mostly focus on making criminals healthy, law-abiding members of society rather than just punishing them for what they have done. if your horse doesn't win the race, do you feed it less to make sure that it doesn't lose again while teaching the other horses to win or do you feed it and train it more so it will win the net race?

 

[insanelich]

First: PRISONS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE NONSTOP TORTURE. Prisoners are supposed to be *rehabilitated* in prisons. Making prison harsher breeds harsher inmates, not rehabilitated ones. And a video game is a great carrot for the carrot and stick part of keeping order - misbehave and your video games get taken away.

Second: There's no good way to disable the inbuilt Wifi in PS3, Wii or Xbox 360, and using that inbuilt wifi they could connect to, say, a phone in the parking lot of the prison, thus allowing unmonitored outside communications.

 

[Leg End]

Or it could be, you know, a pre-S 360 or a 20GB I believe it was, PS3. Neither had Wi-Fi. The 360 needed a part for it to be Wi-Fi enabled. :L

Or just open up the PS3 and disconnect the Wi-Fi card. :L

 

[Leg End]

Second: There's no good way to disable the inbuilt Wifi in PS3, Wii or Xbox 360, and using that inbuilt wifi they could connect to, say, a phone in the parking lot of the prison, thus allowing unmonitored outside communications.

I post again to say, yes, there is. :L

Depending on what method you want to use, you can just open them up and make some minor modifications or, in the case of the 360, get a pre-S model that do not have built-in Wi-Fi. Or, but this is the expensive route, get a old 20GB PS3 as those did not have Wi-Fi capability.

The Wii... well, I doubt the dude would want a Wii. XD

 

[Blind Sight]

Not really a fan of this either, I suggest books and other forms of entertainment.

Also, for all the people screaming 'rehabilitation': have you guys seen the statistics on rehabilitated prisoners? It largely doesn't work in the current system, at least via the figures I've seen from European and Canadian prisons. So before we start having taxpayers covering the gaming habits of prisoners, I'd be a bit more focused on making the rehabilitation system actually effective.

 

[WarDialler]

It's not as simple as opening up a console and unsoldering a lead or flipping out a chip, the WiFi hardware in a 360 and a Ps3 is a chip on a PCB, and it's uaually integrated as part of a larger piece of the architecture.

Do I agree with prisoners being able to have access to these things? I dunno, I think prison should be a place of rehabilitation but having never been in one I don't know enough to make an informed opinion. Of course I could just read the sun and LET ALL THE BASTARDS HANG but I think that free will and having my own opinion is important.

Also, I'm fairly sure he doesnt JUST sit aroud playing video games ALL day EVERY day, he'll be in some sort of structured work program.

I think what I'm trying to say here is, think before you engage your keyboard and start screaming about how good he has it in prison, and do a little research into the matter before you decide to go and stab somebody to death so you too can have "the easy life" inside.

 

[ResonanceSD]

Surely they could get a Gen I Xbox360, which doesn't have an in built wireless, making disabling the wifi quite simple...

Also, as a presponse to the pile of "don't give prisoners game consoles" comments, if giving them a game console cuts down on prison riots, wouldn't it be better to go with that?

Fairly sure the salient point should be "Why the fuck are they getting a gaming console in the first place?"

 

[Live4Lotus]

Prisons are a business...and it isn't good business to rehabilitate criminals; they don't come back and they don't create new criminals if you do that.

Ignoring all the ethical issues about society punishing those who they create rather than rehabilitating them, the reason they gave to block this was that WiFi could not be blocked, and that is a load of crap. Every PS3 since the 40GB (including the slims) can have WiFi permanently disabled very easily. There is a shielded wire running from the mainboard to the WiFi antenna mounted in the front of the system. Removing this antenna and wire leaves a small round socket on the mainboard...a shielding ground around a pin that carries the wifi. Simply removing the wire disables wifi...but adding a drop of solder to fill in this socket grounds the wifi, completely disabling it and preventing the possibility of using the bluetooth antenna for WiFi. The only way to re-enable wifi at that point would involve a ESD-free soldering iron.