ARGUMENT FOR VIDEO GAMES IN IDAHO PRISONS
The objectives in housing prisoners in any prison is (or should be) the safety and security of the public, staff and prisoners. Reducing instances of violence in prison is paramount in achieving these goals, yet some Idaho prison administrators maintain programs and activities which not only promote violence between prisoners, they disregard proven means to reduce it. Whether this is due to technological illiteracy, old-guard attitudes or just plain stubborness, it is time to leap into the 21st century in Idaho prisons.
For many years, Idaho prisons have allowed (some) prisoners to play any number of video games in crowded communal areas (dayrooms) using older Playstation 2 gaming consoles and individual games having been donated by outside sources. Despite the many and obvious benefits to allowing Idaho prisoners to purchase personal gaming consoles, IDOC administrators resist the option, much to the detriment of education, safety and security of facilities.
There are never enough gaming consoles available for the entire population who wants to utilize the community PS2 stations to have a seat. For example, in an 88 man unit at ISCC, there are only 2 consoles in the dayroom. Controllers for these units are often broken or worn out from overuse, and game discs are scratched, chipped or in many cases - missing. Only a few people are actually able to schedule game time (slots) per day and often, those who sign up for the game time sell their slots to others, with some prisoners (who have purchased time) sitting on a game for several slots (hours) per day, while others may wait weeks or months to get a game slot.
Idaho prisoners who were housed in Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma prisons due to overcrowding in Idaho were all allowed to purchase personal gaming consoles, games and accessories with permission of Idaho administrators, but these games were confiscated upon the prisoners being returned to Idaho facilities. In some cases, staff allowed prisoner-owned controllers, games and memory cards to enter the Idaho prisons from out of state creating a situation where prisoners consider some accessories 'personal property' (and rightly so) and refuse to allow others to use them, causing friction and other problems. If and when a community game console or accessory is damaged, it is not replaced.
For years, IDOC administrators nixed the idea of selling gaming consoles to prisoners, stating their concern that the public would be outraged at the knowledge that prisoners were playing video games in prison. Secondarily, administrators cited the fact that most gaming consoles had small electric motors (integrated within the case), and that such motors could be used for tattooing in violation of prison rules. Neither of these 'justifications' continue to exist.
First, almost every Idaho prisoner now has access to electric motors within devices that are much cheaper and effective for tattooing than any motor contained within a $300 gaming console (who would destroy a $300 gaming console for a motor when you could get one from a $20 beard trimmer or $40 electric shaver that works better?). Beard trimmers/shavers, as are now available to Idaho prisoners, in Idaho prisons, are here to stay (see SHACKELFORD v. McKAY, Case No. CV-OC- 2016-5583) --- and the world did not come crashing down.
As to the public perception issue, IDOC now allows prisoners to purchase video games via JPay - which has a catalog of nearly 250 games which may be purchased and played on the JP5 or JP5s tablets. The problems with those games however are that games must be played on the tablet only, most every game sold is some sort of child's game (made for ages 6 to 15), a cheesy rip-off of a well developed game (Christmas Candy Smash rather than Candy Crush) and/or present no challenge. Further, gaming consoles can be used for educational content, religious and other rehabilitative efforts where tablet content cannot. Personal gaming console would also be limited to in-cell use.
It is well established that prisoners who's minds and time are occupied are less prone to violence and other negative acts. This is especially true where prisoners are in their cells (voluntarily) and occupied with gaming and other positive pursuits. Because these gaming consoles would not be capable of being on-line, gaming content available to prisoners would be controlled and approved by IDOC staff before discs are authorized or sold.
Finally, the revenue generated to the Idaho General Fund (via the Inmate Management Fund) through the sale of personal gaming consoles, games and accessories (controllers, etc) to prisoners is more than a paltry sum, boosting the Idaho economy. These funds are funneled back into the community and the IDOC for rehabilatative and other efforts designed to protect the public once these prisoners are released back into society. The IDOC adds a 25% surcharge to all purchases made by prisoners through the commissary.
While the saying "Come to Idaho and set your watch back 20 years" might be quaint and a bit humorous, it should not be indicative of IDOC policies - policies which are reshaping the minds and actions of prisoners which will be revisited upon citizens when prisoners try to reassimilate to the free world.
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For many years, Idaho prisons have allowed (some) prisoners to play any number of video games in crowded communal areas (dayrooms) using older Playstation 2 gaming consoles and individual games having been donated by outside sources. Despite the many and obvious benefits to allowing Idaho prisoners to purchase personal gaming consoles, IDOC administrators resist the option, much to the detriment of education, safety and security of facilities.
There are never enough gaming consoles available for the entire population who wants to utilize the community PS2 stations to have a seat. For example, in an 88 man unit at ISCC, there are only 2 consoles in the dayroom. Controllers for these units are often broken or worn out from overuse, and game discs are scratched, chipped or in many cases - missing. Only a few people are actually able to schedule game time (slots) per day and often, those who sign up for the game time sell their slots to others, with some prisoners (who have purchased time) sitting on a game for several slots (hours) per day, while others may wait weeks or months to get a game slot.
Idaho prisoners who were housed in Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma prisons due to overcrowding in Idaho were all allowed to purchase personal gaming consoles, games and accessories with permission of Idaho administrators, but these games were confiscated upon the prisoners being returned to Idaho facilities. In some cases, staff allowed prisoner-owned controllers, games and memory cards to enter the Idaho prisons from out of state creating a situation where prisoners consider some accessories 'personal property' (and rightly so) and refuse to allow others to use them, causing friction and other problems. If and when a community game console or accessory is damaged, it is not replaced.
For years, IDOC administrators nixed the idea of selling gaming consoles to prisoners, stating their concern that the public would be outraged at the knowledge that prisoners were playing video games in prison. Secondarily, administrators cited the fact that most gaming consoles had small electric motors (integrated within the case), and that such motors could be used for tattooing in violation of prison rules. Neither of these 'justifications' continue to exist.
First, almost every Idaho prisoner now has access to electric motors within devices that are much cheaper and effective for tattooing than any motor contained within a $300 gaming console (who would destroy a $300 gaming console for a motor when you could get one from a $20 beard trimmer or $40 electric shaver that works better?). Beard trimmers/shavers, as are now available to Idaho prisoners, in Idaho prisons, are here to stay (see SHACKELFORD v. McKAY, Case No. CV-OC- 2016-5583) --- and the world did not come crashing down.
As to the public perception issue, IDOC now allows prisoners to purchase video games via JPay - which has a catalog of nearly 250 games which may be purchased and played on the JP5 or JP5s tablets. The problems with those games however are that games must be played on the tablet only, most every game sold is some sort of child's game (made for ages 6 to 15), a cheesy rip-off of a well developed game (Christmas Candy Smash rather than Candy Crush) and/or present no challenge. Further, gaming consoles can be used for educational content, religious and other rehabilitative efforts where tablet content cannot. Personal gaming console would also be limited to in-cell use.
It is well established that prisoners who's minds and time are occupied are less prone to violence and other negative acts. This is especially true where prisoners are in their cells (voluntarily) and occupied with gaming and other positive pursuits. Because these gaming consoles would not be capable of being on-line, gaming content available to prisoners would be controlled and approved by IDOC staff before discs are authorized or sold.
Finally, the revenue generated to the Idaho General Fund (via the Inmate Management Fund) through the sale of personal gaming consoles, games and accessories (controllers, etc) to prisoners is more than a paltry sum, boosting the Idaho economy. These funds are funneled back into the community and the IDOC for rehabilatative and other efforts designed to protect the public once these prisoners are released back into society. The IDOC adds a 25% surcharge to all purchases made by prisoners through the commissary.
While the saying "Come to Idaho and set your watch back 20 years" might be quaint and a bit humorous, it should not be indicative of IDOC policies - policies which are reshaping the minds and actions of prisoners which will be revisited upon citizens when prisoners try to reassimilate to the free world.
To comment on this posting, click on POST A COMMENT below.