Cons should get 'unrestricted' net access - charity

[Legion]

By Tim Richardson
Published Tuesday 24th May 2005 09:30 GMT

The Home Office has rejected plans to give lags access to the internet and email while doing porridge.

A report out today by the charity Forum on Prisoner Education (FPE) claims cons should be given "unrestricted access to the internet for 'educational, resettlement, and recreational purposes'".

It argues that the UK should follow other European countries such as Hungary and Switzerland where prisoners have been able to use the internet and email for the last four years.

The report insists that trusting inmates to use the net would help their rehabilitation, enabling them to prepare for life on the outside.

Said FPE director Steve Taylor: "There really is something wrong with our prisons when countries such as Hungary, Greece and Russia provide internet access to prisoners but we do not."

However, the proposals have been branded "unrealistic" by the Government.

A Home Office spokesman told The Register that security as a "very real issue" and that the prison service had a "duty to protect the public from the actions of offenders in our care".

"This includes preventing unwanted and potentially illegal contact between a prisoner and victims/witnesses, stopping *** offenders from 'grooming' children and generally stopping prisoners from being able to engage in any form of criminal activity.

:cantbeli: I'm not sure why anybody would think this is a good idea...

[Aerosoul]

I have no problem letting inmates getting an education. I know some who have gotten diplomas and whatnot.

But giving them things like unrestricted web access is dumb. Let's send them to my country club while we're at it.

[Oddbod]

Another stupid idea from Liberals R Us.

I'm damn sure there are plenty of law-abiding people who cannot afford internet access.
They're a lot more deserving than those who commit crimes.

[Herrmannek]

First i thought that prisons are for isolation .. second any criminal having acces to net will be able to pass tha orders to his comrades with is totaly bs...

[Frank Discussion]

:cantbeli: I'm not sure why anybody would think this is a good idea...

I agree, I have to pay a monthly bill for internet access, not to mention my computer. They deserve nothing.

[Geezah]

and recreational purposes

Since when has doing bird been a frickin holiday :cantbeli:

I would give these people unlimited access to the library if they want an education so bad.

[Frank Discussion]

Since when has doing bird been a frickin holiday :cantbeli:


In my opinion if you commit a crime against society, you should forfeit all rights that that society affords you. Since the late 1800's when the correctional system began to focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment, the track record for rehabilitation has been dismal. It doesn't work, and Joe Taxpayer really doesn't have any interest whatsoever on criminals recieving a free education, when the average working class family can't afford to send their own children through college.

The majority of these criminals will never be productive and functioning members of society, so lets just drop that pretense. I'd just throw them in a cell and let them rot.

[Geezah]

Frank Discussion, I like you :hug:

[11F5S]

Since the late 1800's when the correctional system began to focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment, the track record for rehabilitation has been dismal. It doesn't work, and Joe Taxpayer really doesn't have any interest whatsoever on criminals recieving a free education.

Because learning to make license plates isn't effective rehabilitation...the only place jobs in that line of work are available are in prisons.

You are wrong, educational programs do in fact reduce recidivism.


A study by the Federal Bureau of Prisons found that, “Recidivism rates were inversely related to educational program participation in prison. The more educational programs successfully completed for each six months confined, the lower the recidivism rate.


A study at Folsom Prison in California showed that none of the inmates who earned a bachelor’s degree recidivated, compared with the 55% recidivism rate of the rest of the inmates released. A study authored by female inmates at New York’s Bedford Hills Correctional Facility indicates that women who attended college while incarcerated recidivated at a rate of 7.7% as opposed to the 29.9% return rate of women who did not attend. Post-secondary education in prison can help reduce crime on the street.



The issues relating to correctional education are of interest to a number of agencies. Courts, for example, have an interest lowering crime and reducing recidivism. The Arizona Supreme Court has installed 31 computerized Literacy, Education and Reading Network (LEARN) labs in probation departments and other community settings throughout the state. This program has significantly reduced crime and recidivism for those participants who completed it.



Another group with an interest in successful correctional education programs is the general public—the people who pay with their taxes and feel the impact of crime the most. One citizens’ group, CURE-NY, uses its web page to inform the public and to advocate for quality prison education programs. It states, “Recidivism is readily reducible 16-62% by broader use of existing types of programs, particularly substance abuse treatment, education, intermediate sanctions and alternatives to incarceration.”

[Geezah]

Doesn't that Sheriff out in Texas or Arizona that makes the prisoners wear pink have a low reoffend rate?

[MaDuce]

Doesn't that Sheriff out in Texas or Arizona that makes the prisoners wear pink have a low reoffend rate?
I saw some thing about that on TV He oly let them see rated G films and they wern't allowed to swear and the only music they could lsiten to was sappy and happy.

[rg]

Doesn't that Sheriff out in Texas or Arizona that makes the prisoners wear pink have a low reoffend rate?
I saw some thing about that on TV He oly let them see rated G films and they wern't allowed to swear and the only music they could lsiten to was sappy and happy.

Proof that RAP music causes crimes.

:lol:

[11F5S]

That's Joe Aripaio Sheriff of Marcopia County, Arizona....runs the county Jails not a prison...major difference.

[Herrmannek]

@11f55
I thought rehabilitation is a myth...

IF somone haven't spine no school will change that.. Those who are able to understand that they made fukking big mistake will be fine on their own, whole rest is just fukking lost of tax money. you can't change their mindset without making lobotomy on them...

[Geezah]

That's Joe Aripaio Sheriff of Marcopia County, Arizona....runs the county Jails not a prison...major difference.

No one mentioned he ran a prison, but I would say he could teach them a thing or two about reforming inmates..

[Frank Discussion]

Because learning to make license plates isn't effective rehabilitation...the only place jobs in that line of work are available are in prisons.

You are wrong, educational programs do in fact reduce recidivism.


Thanks for posting this information, I wasn't aware of these statistics. Judging by this it appears that inmates who recieve higher education are less likely to reoffend.

[Frank Discussion]

Frank Discussion, I like you :hug:

Careful, you're going to make me blush... :P

[Oddbod]

Because learning to make license plates isn't effective rehabilitation...the only place jobs in that line of work are available are in prisons.

You are wrong, educational programs do in fact reduce recidivism.


More likely those who take up these courses are the ones who have done a "one time crime" rather than the serial criminals who cause the most problems for Society.

The old "lies, damn' lies & statistics" no doubt plays a part.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Since when has doing bird been a frickin holiday :cantbeli:


In my opinion if you commit a crime against society, you should forfeit all rights that that society affords you. Since the late 1800's when the correctional system began to focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment, the track record for rehabilitation has been dismal. It doesn't work, and Joe Taxpayer really doesn't have any interest whatsoever on criminals recieving a free education, when the average working class family can't afford to send their own children through college.

The majority of these criminals will never be productive and functioning members of society, so lets just drop that pretense. I'd just throw them in a cell and let them rot.

26th of January. 11 Ships under the command of Captain Arthour Phillip land at Sydney Cove and establish a prison colony of His Majesty the King of England. Fast forward 20 years and still their is no large scale free settlement. The generally the only free people are released convicts or marines who decided to stay in Australia. Fast Forward a further 200 years and you have one of the most prosperous, high standard of living, low crime per capita and have a nation of 20 million.

Rehabilition got to love it.

You see these convicts were trained in skills that whilst they still had to do some hard work. Proved vital in establishing the bedrock of Australia. They were tought to be farmers, masons, blacksmiths. There was bankers, merchants that were criminals. In many of Australias wealthiest families and prestigious establishments they can trace a direct link back to a convict.

[Frank Discussion]

Rehabilition got to love it.


Good post and good point...

[11F5S]

@11f55
I thought rehabilitation is a myth...

IF somone haven't spine no school will change that.. Those who are able to understand that they made fukking big mistake will be fine on their own, whole rest is just fukking lost of tax money. you can't change their mindset without making lobotomy on them...

You can think what you like, however the facts say you are wrong.

Be fine on their own, just because they realize they were wrong. rofl

Without education, their chances at succeeding on the outside after they are released are slim to none.

Waste of tax money, that's nonsense...it's more expensive to have them commit more crimes and return to the prison system.

As far as changing someone's mindset....it happens all the time....circumstances and thing called education will often change ones mindset.....Are you so rigid that you have never changed your mind about things?

[California Joe]

It's such a shame that 11F5S is so retarded. Man, I hate to think that in about 15 years I may be that dumb too. p-)

[Frank Discussion]

As far as changing someone's mindset....it happens all the time....circumstances and thing called education will often change ones mindset.....Are you so rigid that you have never changed your mind about things?

I think you've made some valid points, but perhaps we are all generalizing a bit. Allow me to elaborate on my opinions...

I support first time offenders being offered the opportunity to educate themselves. If it keeps them out of the system, in the long term it is clearly money well spent. My opinion changes when it comes to predicate felons and habitualized offenders. You are pretty well informed so I'm sure you are aware of the recidivism rates of *** offenders, but that is another topic for another time.

[FallenAngel]

in California prisons inmates get three square meals a day, air conditioned cells in some cases, access to a first-class gym, cable television, every DVD on the market, and playstations.

Christ....people should be so lucky.

[Herrmannek]

@11f55
I thought rehabilitation is a myth...

IF somone haven't spine no school will change that.. Those who are able to understand that they made fukking big mistake will be fine on their own, whole rest is just fukking lost of tax money. you can't change their mindset without making lobotomy on them...

You can think what you like, however the facts say you are wrong.

Be fine on their own, just because they realize they were wrong. rofl

Without education, their chances at succeeding on the outside after they are released are slim to none.

Waste of tax money, that's nonsense...it's more expensive to have them commit more crimes and return to the prison system.

As far as changing someone's mindset....it happens all the time....circumstances and thing called education will often change ones mindset.....Are you so rigid that you have never changed your mind about things?
Those humanitarian types :cantbeli: .. Get over with it. I live in country where education is free for everyone including criminals and other asholes, still i don't see lower crime rate, nor highier reeducational succes rate than in fukin mozabik or for example USA... Its not the lack of education drive those people to crime but lack of respect to law, egoism and chronical lack of spine, lazines and lack of will to go through life honest way... Those who realy made mistake and are able to realise that will have lesson learned on themselves whole ****ing ?90%? rest of the guys will not change their path, esspecialy when prison have beter conditions than honest but poor part of society...

-CRIMINALS DON'T NEED INTERNET AT ALL(you can edumcate yourself without it perfectly)

-JAIL IS A PUNISHMENT FIRST AND ON N-TH PLACE A RESOCIALISATION TOOL THAT:

-MOST REASERCH BASED ARTICLES I've READ POINTS THAT RESOCIALISATION IS A MYTH, AND "WORKS" ONLY FOR PEOPLE WILLING TO BE RESOCIALISED WITH IS MINOR PERCENT OF CRIMINALS ANYWAY. AND HELL FOR THOSE WILLING ONES JAIL ALONE WILL WORK TOO..

SO QUESTION IS WHY OVERPAY?

[Geezah]

Since when has doing bird been a frickin holiday :cantbeli:


In my opinion if you commit a crime against society, you should forfeit all rights that that society affords you. Since the late 1800's when the correctional system began to focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment, the track record for rehabilitation has been dismal. It doesn't work, and Joe Taxpayer really doesn't have any interest whatsoever on criminals recieving a free education, when the average working class family can't afford to send their own children through college.

The majority of these criminals will never be productive and functioning members of society, so lets just drop that pretense. I'd just throw them in a cell and let them rot.

26th of January. 11 Ships under the command of Captain Arthour Phillip land at Sydney Cove and establish a prison colony of His Majesty the King of England. Fast forward 20 years and still their is no large scale free settlement. The generally the only free people are released convicts or marines who decided to stay in Australia. Fast Forward a further 200 years and you have one of the most prosperous, high standard of living, low crime per capita and have a nation of 20 million.

Rehabilition got to love it.

You see these convicts were trained in skills that whilst they still had to do some hard work. Proved vital in establishing the bedrock of Australia. They were tought to be farmers, masons, blacksmiths. There was bankers, merchants that were criminals. In many of Australias wealthiest families and prestigious establishments they can trace a direct link back to a convict.

I would love it if it worked, when we were sending people up the river for stealing a loaf of bread, it's hardly a case of rehab for a hardened crim.

Anyway, you're going to make me get on the Australian news page and bring up that story about the party that was gatecrashed and guns were going off aren't you, was it Bikie Gangs that were involved?

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Can if you want.

Crime by bikies dont concern me to much. Generally out here bikies target each other anyway. So the only people they are phucking up is each other. :P

[11F5S]

-MOST REASERCH BASED ARTICLES I've READ POINTS THAT RESOCIALISATION IS A MYTH, AND "WORKS" ONLY FOR PEOPLE WILLING TO BE RESOCIALISED WITH IS MINOR PERCENT OF CRIMINALS ANYWAY. AND HELL FOR THOSE WILLING ONES JAIL ALONE WILL WORK TOO..

SO QUESTION IS WHY OVERPAY?


Given the challenges of prison education, how successful can a correctional education program be? One indication of success can be seen in the New York State Department of Correctional Services (NYSDOCS) 1996 “Annual Report of the Academic and Vocational Program.” Of those inmates who entered the system with no degree, 49% came in with reading scores below the fifth grade level. Upon release, 49% had reading scores at the 8.0 grade equivalent or above.

This report also shows success in vocational education, with 9,873 inmates earning 23,396 job titles and 16 apprenticeship certificates while saving the department $7.25 million in “live work” projects.



Overpaying.... is sending someone to prison and doing nothing to improve his/her chances of finding decent employment when they are released.

Without marketable job skills....they are destined to return to doing what they did before....a life of crime...and then back to prison....where the taxpayer will pay again.

Does it work for everyone?....No it does not...I've never heard anyone claim it does.

[Geezah]

Can if you want.

Crime by bikies dont concern me to much. Generally out here bikies target each other anyway. So the only people they are phucking up is each other. :P

Amazing there is no crime but when you are made aware of crime that takes place, it doens't concern you.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

I've never said there was "NO" crime. I just pointed out that our crime rate is reletivly low compard to other nations. This with strict gun laws, rehabilitation for criminals ect ect.

[Geezah]

I've never said there was "NO" crime. I just pointed out that our crime rate is reletivly low compard to other nations. This with strict gun laws, rehabilitation for criminals ect ect.

blah blah blah, and Socialsim cures the Worlds illnesses

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Dont like it when it's apart from a few minor faults Australia is a prime example of how socialism and democracy can work hand in hand?

[Oddbod]

Dont like it when it's apart from a few minor faults Australia is a prime example of how socialism and democracy can work hand in hand?

Keep to the current programme & your violent crime levels will surpass those of the UK - mind you, we have had more experience at "social engineering" than you have.

PS Violent crime levels in both Aus & the UK are well above those in the US.....

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Want to back that up?

[Aerosoul]

Cons should get 'unrestricted' net access - charity

Personally I think cons should get thir tiny cell, their tiny mattress, and do their damn time. Without the luxury that they might not be able to afford outsideof prison!

[Geezah]

Dont like it when it's apart from a few minor faults Australia is a prime example of how socialism and democracy can work hand in hand?

Yeah right,


Cars hit as gun fired in traffic

BANDITS who shot at police during a traffic check also sprayed bullets across six lanes of peak-hour traffic, hitting two other vehicles.

Miraculously, no one was injured.

Police yesterday discovered a bullet had entered the driver's side door of a Toyota Camry heading west along the Hume Highway – more than 70m away from the gunmen.

Four men in a Toyota Hiace van fired a number of shots at a female senior constable about 5pm on Tuesday, after she pulled them over for a routine traffic check on Alan St, Yagoona. A semi-automatic pistol was used to shoot at the 30-year-old highway patrol officer as she sat alone in her car.

She dived for safety when a bullet struck the police car windscreen, missing her head by less than 30cm.

The officer quickly manoeuvred her car to create a road block across Alan St in the hopes of stopping the van from heading into rush-hour traffic.

But bullets still whizzed past her car, across six lanes of traffic and on to the busy Hume Highway, lodging in the Camry.

Its driver – who was travelling to his Macquarie Fields home from work at Lane Cove – did not even notice the bullet hole until yesterday morning. He called police, who seized the vehicle for forensic testing.

Another bullet hit the window of a car parked outside a house on the Hume Highway.

The car's owner said she was lucky she parked her car where she did or the bullet would have gone straight through her front window.

"My son was watching TV in the front room so it was very lucky the bullet did not hit him," the 38-year-old mother of three told The Daily Telegraph yesterday. "I heard the shots but I couldn't believe the bullets came this far into my car.

Superintendent Mick Plotecki said the four men were armed and dangerous but it was unclear why they were armed. They are still on the run.

The shooting was captured on an in-car video which was being reviewed by police yesterday.

Link (http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1260&storyid=3182625)


$800m defence equipment missing

UP to $800 million worth of defence equipment remains missing despite the efforts of 600 people over five years, a major policy institute says.

But the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is not missing any explosives, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said.

The federal Government again faced a grilling over the missing equipment, which may include items ranging from army boots to trucks.

"I don't think anyone's taken a tank home but, in the last audit report, they were unable to account for all of their equipment," ASPI program director Mark Thomson said.

"Whether we're talking about washers, great coats, blankets, or – God forbid – rifles, I don't know.

"One piece of good news is they can account for all of their explosive ordinance."

Defence Minister Robert Hill last night locked horns with Labor Senator Nick Sherry over the missing equipment at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra.

Acting Deputy Auditor-General Warren Cochrane confirmed to the committee a search was underway for "sensitive items", but he would not say whether the items had been lost or misplaced.

Senator Hill said more than one million goods could not be accounted for, but he denied any tanks were missing.

ASPI said around 600 people had been working for five years to fix the ADF stock-take discrepancies, and they would need at least another two years to finish the job.

"There's about 600 people working in one shape or another on remediating this problem, both in terms of the financial systems and in terms of the stock systems," Mr Thomson said.

"They're going through and doing a zero-basing of all of the warehouses, stock-taking each and every item."

But, given the defence forces controlled around $47 billion in assets, this was no mean feat.

"I think two or three years more hard work will be necessary before they can have unqualified financial reports."

The Department of Finance today sought to qualify the situation.

"My general impression is ... not that the problem has got worse, but that the auditor has dug deeper and new issues have come to light," department secretary Ian Watt told a Senate committee today.

ASPI agreed.

"Defence is the biggest holder of assets in the country and I think it's fair to say that 10 years ago there was simply no visibility of this issue whatsoever," institute director Peter Jennings said.

ASPI believes the missing equipment could amount to anywhere between $400 and $800 million worth of stock, which affects around $8 billion in assets.

Senator Hill said progress was being made on the issue.

"Good progress is being made," he said.

Link (http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,15403891%255E1702,00.html)

Damn, military equipment missing, who knows where it could turn up :cantbeli:

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Actually I posted that missing equipment article in another topic. Big **** up that. apperantly even tanks have gne missing.