Governor Bans Video Games from Prison

[Jive3D]

Mildly Interesting article. What bothers me most is his last statement in the article.

Link
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/01/25/videogames.prisons.ap/index.html

Article Text:

Governor bans video games from prisons

Tuesday, January 25, 2005 Posted: 12:08 PM EST (1708 GMT)

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri (AP) -- Governor Matt Blunt banned video games from the state's prisons Monday, a month after a newspaper reported some of Missouri's most violent inmates were allowed to play games simulating murders, carjackings and the killings of police officers.

Blunt, a Republican who took office two weeks ago, called video games "a luxury that inmates should not be allowed to enjoy."

"Our penitentiaries are punitive institutions where those who have committed crimes against society are sent to pay for their actions. They are not meant to be arcades," Blunt said in a statement.

The ban applies to all video games -- violent or not. Blunt said state tax dollars -- as well as employees' time -- should not be spent determining which video games are violent.

The Corrections Department already had removed 35 violent video games from the maximum-security Jefferson City Correctional Center as The Kansas City Star prepared to publish a story about the games in early December.

The games, which were paid for with profits from the prison canteen, included titles such as "Hitman: Contracts," in which players use everything from meat hooks to silencer-equipped pistols to carry out contract killings.

In prison, inmates should "pick up skills and abilities that will allow them to go back out into society and be productive citizens," Blunt said. "Playing video games doesn't have anything to do with either of those objectives."

It's unclear how many states allow video games in prison.

[punkoffgirl]

I'm curious as to whether he actually has the ability to ban all games, or just prevent the use of prison funds to purchase them. As far as I know, they can't tell inmates they can't purchase/play games procured with their own funds.

[mr_nihilism]

Is there anything prisoners don't get while serving what is supposed to be a punishing sentence?

[klausien]

Good for him. I am not the largest fan of the American justice system, but if you are in prison, it is not supposed to be a vacation. Unfortunately, all too often it is. I know someone who has a family member in Leavenworth and he writes and sends pictures of basketball leagues and all kinds of recreational activity. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes, but the punishment doesn't seem to fit the crime anymore. There is absolutely no reason for inmates to have video games. They have their own fond memories of their personal GTA sprees to reminisce upon.

[squidblatt]

I don't really care about the ban, but I've got to disagree with the perception that prisoners are treated too well. I've got a family member in prison who was wounded in Vietnam and is legally disabled. Despite the fact that he has a scars up and down his leg where he was riddled with a machine gun and lost part of his foot, the prison accused him of being lazy and thinking he was special when he complained that he could not be on his feet for the ten hour shifts they wanted him to work in the kitchen. So they took away his boots and his prosthesis as punishment and told him he should give back his disability pay, which he is not recieving in prison anyway, because it wasn't fair to sociiety. Then they had the nerve to tell him he had to learn to confront adversity. He also has an eye disease that is proven by bloodwork, but the prison examiner, who is the sister in law of of the administrators, says that the 96% probablility indicated by the blood work is not enough to prove that ihe actually has this disease, so he is not allowed to get treatment or any medicine. It took years just to get him a pair of glasses. I could go on and on. My opinion of the prison system could not be lower. I know some of you think prisoners deserve this treatment, but not everyone who commits a crime deserves to be treated as the scum of the earth even if they do deserve a prison sentence. Anyway, no more ranting from me.

[rbudrick]

I don't see why they can't allow them to play games, but only the really horrible ones: ET, Dragster, Shaq Fu, Superman. Now that's punishment.

-Rob

[geminate]

I don't see why they can't allow them to play games, but only the really horrible ones: ET, Dragster, Shaq Fu, Superman. Now that's punishment.

-Rob

HAHAHAHA

[gamegirl79]

As a Missourian, I can say that I'm definitely not a Matt Blunt fan. On this issue though I agree with him. Prison is not meant to be a vacation. Make it hell for the inmates while they're in there and maybe they'll think twice about committing crimes after they're released.

[Jive3D]

Wow people - this is not a black and white issue. Crimes come in all flavors, people come in all flavors and need different treatment, and the prisons come in all different... you get my point.

Don't be so easy to deal out "treat them like hell" sentances.

I posted this b/c it surprised me that they had video games in prisons at all. And then the Governor says that playing games has absolutely no bearing on becoming a functioning member of society - there are plenty of games, say puzzle genre that can increase your problem solving skills, this would be beneficial for the work place. And if games are not good for those serving society, then why do they train miltary/us forces with video game training sims?

"Hey, come out you have kitchen duty!"
"Okay, let me just get this last star in Mario 64DS!"

[Half Japanese]

Not completely disagreeing with you, but put "Tetris master" on your next app and see where it gets you. If it's Hot Topic, you might get manager.

[Flack]

I'm guessing this must be a pretty low-security prison? I had a friend who was in county for a while and whenver I would bring him magazines to read they would make me pull out all the staples so they couldn't be used as weapons.

I don't know about you but I'm guessing an original Xbox controller could bash a man's skull in fairly easily, not to mention being able to strangle people with cords.

If they really want to lighten the place up I say stock em up with DDR games. How tough can you look while you're dancing?

[gamegirl79]

I guess I feel the way I do because I've been the victim of a crime that cost me a lot of money and emotional distress. I don't feel safe where I live (and I don't live in a bad area) but cannot afford to pick up and move at the moment.

So the thought of a criminal who has made MY life a living hell having a good time playing video games in prison doesn't sit well with me at all to say the least. I realize that crimes and people come in all flavors, but the majority of people sitting in prison in my opinion don't deserve the luxury of playing an Xbox. Things like that give them very little incentive to better themselves upon release.

[Iron Draggon]

I don't really care about the ban, but I've got to disagree with the perception that prisoners are treated too well. I've got a family member in prison who was wounded in Vietnam and is legally disabled. Despite the fact that he has a scars up and down his leg where he was riddled with a machine gun and lost part of his foot, the prison accused him of being lazy and thinking he was special when he complained that he could not be on his feet for the ten hour shifts they wanted him to work in the kitchen. So they took away his boots and his prosthesis as punishment and told him he should give back his disability pay, which he is not recieving in prison anyway, because it wasn't fair to sociiety. Then they had the nerve to tell him he had to learn to confront adversity. He also has an eye disease that is proven by bloodwork, but the prison examiner, who is the sister in law of of the administrators, says that the 96% probablility indicated by the blood work is not enough to prove that ihe actually has this disease, so he is not allowed to get treatment or any medicine. It took years just to get him a pair of glasses. I could go on and on. My opinion of the prison system could not be lower. I know some of you think prisoners deserve this treatment, but not everyone who commits a crime deserves to be treated as the scum of the earth even if they do deserve a prison sentence. Anyway, no more ranting from me.

Yeah, I don't understand the mentality that being in prison means that you don't deserve proper medical attention and treatment, that's just ridiculous. And as for taking away someone's prosthesis as a punishment? I would have the ACLU all over that bullshit. That's cruel and unusual punishment. What if he had a pacemaker? Would they make him operate the microwave in the kitchen? Sometimes I think the wrong people are behind the bars in prison.

[stuffedmonkey]

I don't see why they can't allow them to play games, but only the really horrible ones: ET, Dragster, Shaq Fu, Superman. Now that's punishment.

-Rob

Or the all time favorite, Super Don't Drop the Soap Brothers :)