- Credits
- 49,547
Thirty hour games? Forty, fifty, seventy hour games? No bother, some of the UK's biggest gamers have all the time in the world.
According to junior Justice Minister Crispin Blunt, a third of prisoners in England and Wales are able to own game consoles via an inmate good behavior program. That means that over 36,000 prisoners are "eligible to have a games console of their own in their possession".
It is important to note that apparently no tax payer money was used to purchase the consoles. Instead, they were purchased by the prisoners or their families. According to Ireland's Independent, a 2008 audit revealed that over 12,000 games had been purchased with taxpayer money.
"It's just further evidence that prisons resemble more of a holiday camp than a place of punishment," said politician Philip Davies. "When people reflect on the reasons that inmates are in prison they will be appalled that prisoners are allowed to do this kind of thing. Prison should be a punishment for committing either serious or persistent offenses. Most people will conclude that prison has completely lost sight of what its purpose is — punishing or even rehabilitating people."
Prison is a punishment. Owning video games is part of a good behavior program in the correctional system. If that program isn't working, then perhaps the UK authorities can amend it or create a new program. And while they're at it, maybe they can clean up the prison drug problem. Let's not take our eyes off the ball here.
source
geeze, can they give a better reason to go to jail?
According to junior Justice Minister Crispin Blunt, a third of prisoners in England and Wales are able to own game consoles via an inmate good behavior program. That means that over 36,000 prisoners are "eligible to have a games console of their own in their possession".
It is important to note that apparently no tax payer money was used to purchase the consoles. Instead, they were purchased by the prisoners or their families. According to Ireland's Independent, a 2008 audit revealed that over 12,000 games had been purchased with taxpayer money.
"It's just further evidence that prisons resemble more of a holiday camp than a place of punishment," said politician Philip Davies. "When people reflect on the reasons that inmates are in prison they will be appalled that prisoners are allowed to do this kind of thing. Prison should be a punishment for committing either serious or persistent offenses. Most people will conclude that prison has completely lost sight of what its purpose is — punishing or even rehabilitating people."
Prison is a punishment. Owning video games is part of a good behavior program in the correctional system. If that program isn't working, then perhaps the UK authorities can amend it or create a new program. And while they're at it, maybe they can clean up the prison drug problem. Let's not take our eyes off the ball here.
source
geeze, can they give a better reason to go to jail?
