ISCC ADMINISTRATORS CHOOSE SPORTS TELEVISION OVER EDUCATION
There was a line in a movie once that started, "You have the right to remain silent, you have the right to cable television...". While IDOC prisoners may not have a right to television, most are allowed to purchase their own TVs (at a price that can only be described as criminal) and the facilities provide the signals (cable or satellite) - paid for by kickbacked funds prisoners are overcharged on commissary goods, telephones and emails - not a cent of tax dollars are being used.
At the ISCC, there are a limited number of satellite receivers used to provide programming, but unlimited opportunities for expansion. Many of these channels are religious programming, and there are 4 purely sports channels, not including the major networks that regularly air various games and sports analysis. There are also 2 channels available which are simply not being used (see a list of the channels available below).
Despite Governor Little's focus on the importance of education in Idaho, and IDOCs push to have all prisoners released with a GED and/or vocational certificate in hand in an effort to reduce recidivism, it is shocking that administrators continue to refuse to provide available educational television programming over sports or other nonsensical, mundane or mind-numbing shows. A request to have The Learning Channel (TLC) was met with a terse NO, making one almost afraid to request something as academic as the Science Channel for fear of being executed on the spot.
Granted, ISCC does provide prisoners a wide variety of television programming, and while prisoners certainly do not have a right to cable TV as the public might believe from the movies, why not use it to help teach something other than just how to dribble a basketball, swing a bat or listen to any number of has-beens sitting behind a desk talking about how they would have caught that pass or connected with that slider 30 years ago.
Nobody is advocating the removal of all sports channels at the ISCC, rather, the addition and priority of educational channels. While the analog television cable system at ISCC is antiquated and less than optimum, it is still capable of carrying TLC, the Science Channel, even the DIY (Do It Yourself) network where people can learn how to renovate, repair and rehabilitate ... and maybe even learn something that will help to rehabilitate the prisoner.
ISCC TELEVISION CHANNEL LINE-UP
2 - CBS
3 - Comedy Central
4 - Black Entertainment Network (BET)
5 - INSTITUTIONAL CALL OUT (Closed Circuit)
6 - ABC
7 - NBC
8 - ESPN 2
9 - FOX
10 - TNT (Turner Network Television)
11 - HISTORY
12 - DISCOVERY
13 - PBS (World)
14 - THIS
15 - ION
16 - TBS (TURNER BROADCASTING STATION)
17 - COMET
18 - ME TV
19 - ISCC CHAPEL CHANNEL (Closed Circuit)
20 - UNIVISION (Spanish Language)
21 - SYFY
22 - ESPN
23 - A&E
24 - FX
25 - CNN
26 - AMC
27 - TCM (Turner Classic Movies)
28 - BYU (Brigham Young) (Privately Funded / Religious)
29 - PBS (Idaho)
30 - PBS (Learn)
31 - PBS (Plus)
32 - INSTITUTIONAL MOVIE CHANNEL (Closed Circuit)
33 - H&I
34 - CHARGE!
35 - TELEMUNDO (Spanish Language)
36 - LAFF
37 - AZTECA (Spanish Language)
38 - NBCSN (NBC Sports Network)
39 - CW
40 - EWTN (Privately Funded / Religious)
41 - IFC
42 - FOX NEWS
43 - SUNDANCE
44 - USA
45 - CBSSN (CBS Sports Network)
46 - (NOT USED)
47 - (NOT USED
48 - ENLACE (Privately Funded / Religious)
49 - TBN (Privately Funded / Religious)
50 - 3ABN (Privately Funded / Religious)
51 - HILLSONG (Privately Funded / Religious)
52 - JUCE (Privately Funded / Religious)
53 - FREEFORM
54 - ANIMAL PLANET
55 - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
At the ISCC, there are a limited number of satellite receivers used to provide programming, but unlimited opportunities for expansion. Many of these channels are religious programming, and there are 4 purely sports channels, not including the major networks that regularly air various games and sports analysis. There are also 2 channels available which are simply not being used (see a list of the channels available below).
Despite Governor Little's focus on the importance of education in Idaho, and IDOCs push to have all prisoners released with a GED and/or vocational certificate in hand in an effort to reduce recidivism, it is shocking that administrators continue to refuse to provide available educational television programming over sports or other nonsensical, mundane or mind-numbing shows. A request to have The Learning Channel (TLC) was met with a terse NO, making one almost afraid to request something as academic as the Science Channel for fear of being executed on the spot.
Granted, ISCC does provide prisoners a wide variety of television programming, and while prisoners certainly do not have a right to cable TV as the public might believe from the movies, why not use it to help teach something other than just how to dribble a basketball, swing a bat or listen to any number of has-beens sitting behind a desk talking about how they would have caught that pass or connected with that slider 30 years ago.
Nobody is advocating the removal of all sports channels at the ISCC, rather, the addition and priority of educational channels. While the analog television cable system at ISCC is antiquated and less than optimum, it is still capable of carrying TLC, the Science Channel, even the DIY (Do It Yourself) network where people can learn how to renovate, repair and rehabilitate ... and maybe even learn something that will help to rehabilitate the prisoner.
ISCC TELEVISION CHANNEL LINE-UP
2 - CBS
3 - Comedy Central
4 - Black Entertainment Network (BET)
5 - INSTITUTIONAL CALL OUT (Closed Circuit)
6 - ABC
7 - NBC
8 - ESPN 2
9 - FOX
10 - TNT (Turner Network Television)
11 - HISTORY
12 - DISCOVERY
13 - PBS (World)
14 - THIS
15 - ION
16 - TBS (TURNER BROADCASTING STATION)
17 - COMET
18 - ME TV
19 - ISCC CHAPEL CHANNEL (Closed Circuit)
20 - UNIVISION (Spanish Language)
21 - SYFY
22 - ESPN
23 - A&E
24 - FX
25 - CNN
26 - AMC
27 - TCM (Turner Classic Movies)
28 - BYU (Brigham Young) (Privately Funded / Religious)
29 - PBS (Idaho)
30 - PBS (Learn)
31 - PBS (Plus)
32 - INSTITUTIONAL MOVIE CHANNEL (Closed Circuit)
33 - H&I
34 - CHARGE!
35 - TELEMUNDO (Spanish Language)
36 - LAFF
37 - AZTECA (Spanish Language)
38 - NBCSN (NBC Sports Network)
39 - CW
40 - EWTN (Privately Funded / Religious)
41 - IFC
42 - FOX NEWS
43 - SUNDANCE
44 - USA
45 - CBSSN (CBS Sports Network)
46 - (NOT USED)
47 - (NOT USED
48 - ENLACE (Privately Funded / Religious)
49 - TBN (Privately Funded / Religious)
50 - 3ABN (Privately Funded / Religious)
51 - HILLSONG (Privately Funded / Religious)
52 - JUCE (Privately Funded / Religious)
53 - FREEFORM
54 - ANIMAL PLANET
55 - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC