I love watching bureaucracy grow.

They make prisons nicer to make criminals more ambitious with their crimes, thus allowing the police force to continue endlessly expanding.

cookiesareafriend

with such lenient shit like this how are there any homeless? just commit a big enough crime to get thrown in a place like this and live it up.

on a random tangent, is anyone else excited about a new lost boys movie? >.>;;;;;

demonknightinuyasha

@TheGuilty1: Wow, someone is butthurt. You know, people might take your point more serious if don't sit there and insult them the entire time. Real class.

ƒox

maybe they should get rid of cable to. when i was visiting a friend in Juvi I saw Reno 911 playing on the tv their. LOL

deathtastic

I would say each inmate may purchase their own console (only one) and may have up to 10 non-violent games.
@Monsignor:

Non-violent? Do you believe a violent video games makes someone violent?

SsLordMagus

@I Think We're Property:

I'm not sure either. I was supposing that if you consider the two schools of thought, one is basically isolate them to hard labour and minimal interaction with the outside world as punishment, and the other I would describe as engagement. And if you're going with engagement consoles make sense. I haven't a clue whether either of them works particularly well, only that it seems logically consistent that if you are trying to habilitate people into modern society that video games can be a part of it (along with the internet, television, movies etc.).

sirsri

I'm more concerned about the issue of video games perhaps being singled out for being possibly influential on violence.

If they banned violent video games, violent books and violent movies should also be banned. No double standards.

Gestahl

I can tell a lot of you assholes don't know shit about prison. First, you can add games, televisions or any other amenity to a block, but no matter what you put in there you are still being kept from your friends and family. You are still in lock down every night while you lay awake and think about how much you regret what you did. You still think about how much better it would be if you could be on the outside again doing the normal, everyday things that people like you pigs take for granted. So, don't talk shit about being in prison when you don't know anything. Also, basic psychology will show you that a prisoner is more likely to do his time peacefully if he isn't completely miserable.

Or how about we do things the conservative way? Let's just put each person whose committed a crime into a small 5 x 5 closet for their entire sentence, or force them to do grueling labor everyday for free.(slavery) or how about we just kill em'. That would save money.

Also, not every single person who made a mistake is destined to do it again, so just shut the fuck up about how an ex-con is just going to land himself in jail again.

You people are a bunch of ignorant pricks.

TheGuilty1

Prisoners should be forced to watch gay porn, not play videogames.

DanoruX

@Risby: Yes the UK does get a 18 age rating on games, two 18 ratings to be specific.

There is a 18 rating given by the BBFC and that is present on the GTA cases, which over time seems to have doubled in size on the game case.

There is also a 18+ rating given by the PEGI, but I don't think I have any games given the PEGI 18+ rating so I can't really say what games sport that rating.

Emiat

The give prisoners books, chess boards, video games, weight sets, TV's, radios basketball courts and other basic comforts so that prisoners don't go fucking crazy all the time and riot out of shear boredom. The decision to give prisoners these privileges is not made by a bunch of soft-on-crime bleeding heart liberals who want to coddle bad people. It's made by prison guards and wardens in the interest of controling and pacifying the prisoner population and keeping themselves safe.

Duh.

etchasketchist

I think they should consider the implications for sex offenders being only allowed to play games rated under 18... Good for less violence, bad for less sex crimes.

Gam3r

@Snake726:

Pure awesome.

Qix213

@P-Flute: AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

*gets dragged away by blue coats*

Onizuka-GTO

@Thunder-1: Although I agree with your thoughts on the level of punishment here, (they are criminals) at what point do you say enough?? How many rights do you take away from someone before they are deemed "punished". And if you've got an idea or a number, who are you to choose so, impressing your will upon another?

Someone on a petty crime (1-10 years) should be able to at least have their own space. Prisons in principal are built to separate "unwanteds" from the law-abiding population.
At some point take enough rights away and people border insanity within their minds, because its the only place left to go.

My concern here is not for the prisoners, but their handlers. I'd just rather be dealing with a bunch of guys that sit around and play games all day. Considering the norm of staring at the wall and carving shivs, couch
potatoes look a little better.

Sidenote: those kids in juvy should never have had games. they should play the pick up the trash on the highway game

TheLegendof_Erick

*the warden presents the prisoners with video games* "What got you here in the first place was killing innocent people. If you wanted to kill innocent people, you should have done this!" *shows them how to play GTA* "See? Avoiding imprisonment and shower rape is as easy as picking up a controller!"

PC+Mac Coexist

@sirsri: I much agree with your thoughts. It's unsettling that we have these double standards - this man did something wrong... so let's do something horrible to him! The collective skipped the math on that one.

I personally feel a lot of the problem stems from no distinct separation of crime severity. A man who refused to pay traffic tickets will sometimes get equal jail time as a murderer or rapist. They receive the same facilities and treatment as much worse individuals. How would you feel to be kept in the same building as a rapist, let alone in the same section or cell?

I don't see the error of allowing lesser inmates (ie minor drug trafficking and below, involuntary manslaughter, etc.) having the ability to earn themselves entertainment. It shows an initiative to work for something simple and peaceful. Prisoners who commit real crimes, crimes that aren't really forgiven, like murder, rape, and other violent acts (excepting self-defense) simply shouldn't be eligible for anything of entertainment value or shortened sentences.

With proper distinction between the "evil men" and "men who made mistakes as people are want to do" would make less difficulty in both public image and allocating funds that a greedier public would deem absurd.

AntiheroKing

Yeah sports and sports about video games never created a scenario of over reacting competative and violence.

If you can play games in prison, why am I going to my 9-5 job 5 days a week just so I can go home to play video games?

Seems like I found a solution...

Murdoc

Interesting how few of the comments are actually directly related to the item. I think everyone can agree though that regardless of whether they should be allow to have video games that it's probably good that they just play sports games and fairly non-violent games. Why not just install Wiis instead of PS and Xboxs in prisons?

M-26-7

@Spenze: Do people in other countries also not have this cute misconception that 'criminals' are somehow a completely different, inherently evil race of demons waiting to tear people apart?

Do they think that they actually realize that most 'normal, good' people are only 15 seconds and one lost temper away from a jail cell? :)

P-Flute

"and completely bans violent games and shooters with an 18 or older rating."

Does UK got a 18 yrs rating? Last i checked i tought they had GTA-games on 15+.

Risby

Introduce World of Warcraft to problem prisoners, and they'll never commit a crime again, let alone go outside.

Snake726

What americans don't seem to understand is that other first world countries (for the most part) use prisons as rehabilitation centers instead of a place to lock up and punish the unwanted dregs of society.

A few basic luxuries for good behavior isn't a bad thing.

Spenze

They ALLOWED you to play games in prison? When did this happen?

Furude

Wait, they've commited crimes and they get to just play video games. We have some screwed up priorities these days.

KM91

USA's views on the prison system is vastly different than the rest of the world, we have more people in prison by both total number and by percent of the population. Other countries believe much more in reform and we believe in punishment, this is just a story about the differences.

(prison pop. source - [www.kcl.ac.uk] )

Scorpinox

"The change in rules come after the Government revealed that they spent more than £10,000 on 80 PlayStations and 15 XBoxes for youth offender institutions."

Once again the UK government sets a good example for the youth, I know the police are too forgiving on the teenagers who like to go out and cause hassle for other people but now rewarding them with a console to play while they are inside serving time?

How about spending £10,000 on things to help the kids come out with skills they can at least use in a job when they get out and not go straight back to their previous lives of doing nothing and receiving benefit money from not wanting to work.

@Thedavid: I don't think the prison shower thing is as widespread in UK prisons as you would like to think.

Emiat

Much as I agree that prison shouldn't be a vacation, kind of tired of the knee-jerk, "HEY IF YOU'RE IN PRISON YOUR LIFE SHOULD be 100% HELL."

Because if you throw someone in prison for selling pot, they should TOTALLY be living in hell and getting raped and live in fear of getting stabbed all the time. That won't, you know, turn them into a murdering psycho or anything, right? It's just what they deserve.

@sirsri: Pretty much agree. There's only two ultimate purposes for the prison system: To keep dangerous individuals away from the general populace, and to try and make sure they won't err again when(if) they get out. "Punishment" only works if it actually acts in a preventative manner.

Unfortunately, many, many people seem to not give a shit whether it statistically works or not, and would just rather have criminals live in utter hell for a few years no matter WHAT it does to them.

The video games for kids thing, I, uh. Not sure if I'm behind it. They could be going too far. But if they've got the successful numbers, hell, I'm sure as hell not going to argue.

P-Flute

Looks like they'll only be allowed to play Mario Party upon good behavior.

Americo

Although it hasn't been a mainstream view for some time now, the goal of prison is not punishment, but rehabilitation. There is a remnant of this goal in the name corrections facility. But punishment is easy, rehabilitation is hard so we focus a bit more on the other goal, the one saved for those who cannot be rehabilitated back into society: isolation and removal (or as I first heard it termed, excommunication from society).

Surely we all here agree that games CAN be a positive influence on your life (although which games for which people is slightly more complicated issue) and in that light shouldn't we be supportive of games in our prisons? I mean as long as they aren't just chucking them in front of fifa or halo (not because they're bad, but they do tend to get people a tad..... aggressive, at least such is what I see). Shouldn't this be just the sort of progressive use of gaming we should champion?

Personally I know a few people who went into juvenile corrections centres where there wasn't anything to do. One story always stands out to me: sweet kid, bad home life, really artistic. Only way he knew to express himself was through graffiti, fantastic pieces (for a 15 year old), got caught one day. 2 years of being beaten and raped by really dangerous people later he is a threat to society. I would be fool to say that games would have kept him safe, but prison as it exists does not work, and new methods of rehabilitating people (or as monsignor alluded to, just keeping them busy) should be explored.

Plus, we'd hate to see Monsignor stabbed.

penty85

@sirsri: Technically, isn't one of the advantages of living a normal, productive life "not going to mothafuckin prison"?

I mean, I'm all for teaching people that this "thug life" bullshit is... well, bullshit; but isn't one of the theories on how to do that being the making of prison to be as unenjoyable as possible? Thus producing the "all I know is that I'm never going back to prison" mentality?

I really don't have enough insight into the subject to really have a strong opinion one way or the other- just saying.

Also, it occurs to me that they could have saved a whole lot of money for the state if their ratio of 360s to PS3s was reversed.

I Think We're Property

What a selfish pompous rule. What else do these people have to do with their time. Separate them - that is the purpose - don't treat them as babies. A good number of them didn't even do anything. How tiresome.

proust

@Monsignor:

I'm all for recreation, but put them to work. Laundry, license plates, give them a football/soccer field and put them out to exercise. Playing something for entertainment is not a right, they should have to earn it.

If the problem is boredom, they have books or a community TV. Rewarding prisoners with video games is downright insulting and encourages people to act out to get more "human rights" they denied their victims.

Thunder-1

@Monsignor:

I suppose an interesting question arises because say 30 years ago (or some time) there were no video games in prisons, but no video games in homes either, so how has the standards of what we need to provide prisoners changed along with the times. I doubt for a modern 20 year old a library and movies/TV have quite the same effect as they did 20 years ago, where now the equivalents are the internet and games.

sirsri

I think I might just move to that country and do something to get sent to their prison. Seriously, they play videogames and don't have to worry about a single thing, except for butt-rape.

Thedavid

@Klopfer123: Exactly. I've been homeless, and believe me, it's not always our fault. Sometimes the system really DOES screw you over.

@Monsignor: Good point. Boredom is very dangerous when it comes to prisons. Be it work or recreation, you gotta keep them busy.

ShaggE

I think the philosophical position is that punishment neither deters crime nor pevents repeat offences. If that's the case (which it may or may not be, that's irrelevant, it seems to be the view being worked from), then gaol is about corrections (which is what we call it in canada) rather than simply detaining them, and by extension if you can show people the advantages of living an honest decent law abiding life they will choose that route over crime (acting under the secondary assumption that esspeically with youth crime, the life they know is of the crimal sort not the law abiding sort).

I have no idea if it would work or not, but the moment the public finds out you're spending money on 'luxury' type items for prisoners there's an uproar and it will be stopped, whether it works or not. Such is politics, and I doubt this is much different than all the media outrage over 'hot coffee'. Only the results can speak for whether it's a good idea and the article makes no reference to any information about the behaviour of prisoners (adults in this case) who had access to game consoles either in prison or out, or what other media they have access to. I'm sure at some point giving prisoners subversive material (newspapers and books), or 'luxuries' like television and movies was opposed too, but time plods on and game consoles are part of modern living so if the goal is to get prisoners wanting to live a modern normal life maybe game consoles have a place.

sirsri

@Gantz: Your Trusted Friend in Science.: Oh yeah the guy who offers to sell you a magazine is so much worse than the guy who stabs you while grabbing your wallet.

Some homeless people are really just born into unlucky circumstances and not all of them by any means are criminals/should be classed as criminals.

Klopfer123

As a corrections officer it frustrates me to see some people not understand the concept of allowing inmates to play video games. Although the prisons in my state don't allow video games, they do allow things like sports, satellite television, full fledged libraries, and a free education. You have to understand that if 1000 inmates are all doing about 5-10 years in a prison, they are going to get bored. If we, as a state (and taxpayers) don't provide them something to do, they'll find something to do. And trust me, it won't be civil and in most cases will end up with another inmate or staff seriously injured. Keep there mind from festering on the thought of why they are there and prisons become much safer and ultimately provides a better working rehabilitation for when they are released back into the community. If I was a to allow video games in my state, I would say each inmate may purchase their own console (only one) and may have up to 10 non-violent games. Keep them in their rooms playing video games means the less chance of me getting assaulted. That's my two cents.

Monsignor

I say let them play. Keeps prisoners docile at minimal cost, and they won't learn anything useful.

arstal

@dunetiger reads kotaku, seems pleased: Maybe if they stopped harassing me and started acting more humble people would give in.

Gantz: Your Trusted Friend in Science.

actually, if they got prisoners to playtest (bad) games, it'd at least be productive

they'd have something to do, bad games would have quality control, and games companies would pay for the playtesting rather than tax payers, win-win am i right?

FenderMaster

Wow, prison sounds pretty fun.

mcmurder

maybe they should give them a DS with nintendogs.. they'll come out the nicest people in the world.

stargateheaven

@Klopfer123:

This is the result of a lot of public outcry on the mistreatment of prisoners (see Attica). Yet nobody rallies for the homeless. Cruel, cruel world.

dunetiger reads kotaku, seems pleased

Ok uh Xboxes for youth offenders? Wow thats some severe punishmet wtf.

Playstation for a dude in there for life? sure why not he should atleast be able to simulate other lives before his own ends.

Gantz: Your Trusted Friend in Science.

Is this for real? You can have luxeries like playing video games in jail?!

Considering the ONLY thing that's a repellent to crime in our society is jailtime you'd think they'd make it a little more...repelling?

MikoKeZ

@Zaos: An interesting point. But would that mean no Phoenix Wright or Wii Fit for your "gamer-smart book-dumb" prisoners?

ryohazuki

@Thunder-1: Yeah, it's fucking stupid, in the UK prisoners get treated as if they haven't done anything wrong, please TV's in prison, what about the countless homeless shelters that struggle to offer any free beds.

Klopfer123

Man.. I wish that would happen here.. where our local corrections facility just purchased a couple dozen XBox 360s.

GRRR.

MrBionic

From what my (English) boyfriend tells me, young offenders in the UK are treated overly well, they get to go to amusement parks and do all sorts of fun social activities to supposedly make them act better. They should instead be punished rather than basicly put into a hotel where the tax payers pay the bill.

Kyoujin

Wow and I thought my government wasted a ton of money.

BUT

I don't think it's a waste, do you want these offenders to become smart & learn law and get out of prison from a loop hole and commit crime again ALL while being buff from the 6 hours of bench pressing a day.

Or do you want them to hone their skills on super monkey ball YOU can decide britain =p

Zaos

They should be playing Dig-Dug in a coal mine.

Elly

They better be force feeding them with "The Sims" games!

FeatherNET

its like if your mum doesnt buy you a console then do a petty crime, youll then be able to play your games for free!

LoganForge

Man I can't spell for anything today, NICE job and omit people please :P

Thunder-1

They shouldn't be playing video games period in prison. Didn't they people commit a crime and therefore should be punished? Next job on paying tax payer money on video games for criminals jackasses!

Thunder-1

lol, one of my mate who got prisoned for a week said he was like in a hotel because he just played on the PS2 24/7

LoganForge

I'm all for keeping the prisoners out of trouble by preventing them from getting bored, but I'm not convinced that this needs to be done in a way that spends so much money while contributing so little to their rehabilitation. Video games aren't exactly the best way to keep the mind from festering.

What makes the least sense is that they're giving them current-generation consoles and games. Why not give them PS2s?

cymptom

force them to play Superman 64, E.T. 2600 and Bat-Man Forever SNES instead

Gutter_Trash

@TheGuilty1: Obviously your time inside (i'm assuming here) tought you nothing of respecting your fellow men. I get your point, but your tone and attitude is abrasive and unsavoury. Certainly not what I'd call Kotaku material.

digiwalsh

I never knew prisioners would be allowed to play games!

Ricksterlau

I hope that they get wireless controllers, or we'll have to deal with video games being responsible for young prisoners in the UK strangling each other.

masterdingo

@Thunder-1:

I take it with this tax payers money you've paid off your home and credit card.

Antiflow

That'll teach those unruly limeys!

Nessman

@infi:
ahrg... I meant to write "it's not as if they don't know they are doing something wrong and may get caught"

infi

prisons should not punish people, prisons should resocialize peple.
why would you believe that punishing does help change anyones mind about crime? it's not as if they don't know they are doing something wrong and get cought, to be afraid of punishment is what most think will hold someone off of a crime, but it will certainly not, so what you have to do is trying to get those people back on track, treat them psychologically and yes why not let them play video games.

infi

Some of you would weep at how lightly people get treated in Prisons in Denmark. Nevermind the games, you get free porn.

Surprisingly few people reoffend there.

This is how it works.

Get treated nicely in prison and you'll learn that behaviour and be nice on the outside. Criminals normally become criminals because quite frankly people on the outside suck, and their live's are generally are unpleasant, hence why they also become unpleasant. i.e become a product of their environment.

Antiflow

Could I just point out that in the UK (and probably in many other countries) a substantial proportion of the prison population are there on remand, and therefore they haven't been convicted of any crime - they've been charged and either refused bail or couldn't afford it.

phicaluk

I believe you need to keep prisoners busy, but video games are not the answer. Give them video games and it's very likely they've now got something they've never had before they committed the crime. That to me does not fit the bill of punishment.. After all, you commit the crime you gotta do the time.

So, the way to fix it? Make them do work. Laundry, cleaning, anything. At least the mundane tasks might stop latent boredom, but I'm not one for giving a prisoner any kind of fun.. It kind of defeats the object.

How is it rehabilitation if they have more fun in prison than they do when they're out? If they have a rough time in prison, it might actually work, AND if you are making them do jobs it gives them some kind of life skills for when they get out.... Unfortunately, NOT that they might be employable to an employer. But that's a different story entirely.

nimagraven

Why were they getting them in the first place? Fuck 'em is what I say.

Sniper_Zegai

@SsLordMagus:

"Non-violent? Do you believe a violent video games makes someone violent?"

To an already fucked up individual? Yes!!! I believe violent videos do not turn normal people towards violent tendencies. But I do believe that violent video games have a tremendous affect on the minority of people who are messed up in the head and have already committed violent offenses.

Monsignor

Playing video games is such a horrible punishment... poor children... now i am sad bear :(

Tiagomnh

Off-topic: I like Niko's Canadian Tuxedo.

Evil J

@I Think We're Property: Whilst prison should be pretty severe if its going to act as a deterrant, the actual usefulness of deterrance is questionable. Aside from which, if someone is released from prison with nothing except the fear of prison, that's really not going to be as helpful as someone who has actually been shown, demonstrably, that there is a viable option aside from criminality. I don't think people should be GIVEN consoles, but they should certainly get the chance to EARN them.

Mister Adequate

I don't know how it is in the UK, but in the states the wages prisoners earn in their jobs is the only money spent on recreation. No taxpayer money is spent on anything like sports, tv and video games. The money all comes out of the inmates pockets. The myth that these things are a draw on taxpayers is propogated by republicans who have no qualms about endangering corrections officers. Time and time again I have visited the local corrections facilities on both tours and to interact with the inmates on the softball field. Everytime I go there, they tell me how happy they are to have the inmates occupied with one thing or another. An idle mind is the devils workshop.

CMU_Bueller

@CMU Bueller:

In the UK, our tax is what pays for that. We are a taxation nation. High taxes is why you guys rebelled against us and I don't blame you.

It is about time they did this. I was angry at the waste of taxpayer money. Prison isn't a holiday, it is a punishment. Sure, we can't torture them but we don't have to pamper them either.

EdwinJ85

I find that sad, somehow.

I don't know why. It should strike me as sensible.

But it doesn't. I just feel bad.

sir_carrot

why should they get a easy life inside if they cant behave outside?

They waste so much on stuff like this, they are in prison for a reason!

And_M

Wouldn't allowing prisoners, especially ones who commit violent crimes to play mature games make sense? I haven't really looked at the stats for it, but I have seen some studies that say violent games actually are good since they provide a safe outlet for people to express feelings which normally would lead to them towards violence. Others disagree. I don't know enough about soc or psyc to be able to really say who is credible.

@nimagraven: Prison isn't about punishment as much as reforming these people so they are able to become useful members of society. What governments should be doing is offering quality programs to teach prisoners trades, literacy, the option to obtain actual university degrees, etc. That way when they do get out of prison they have a source of income, which was most likely one of the initial reasons they ended up in jail in the first place. Course that isn't going to happen anytime soon.
Prison is already pretty shitty, might as well let them have a bit of fun. If anything it's going to help a few keep off drugs.

sereal

Whoa! Being locked up in a room by myself so I can play on a ps3 and xbox360 all day? Sign me up!

skyliner350z

seriously,i think that video games should be allowed for prisoners, but only as a reward for good conduct.

plus they should just let them get a nintendo Wii, which is kinda like a pleasure/pain thing.

they'll love/hate it in equal measure.

:)

while beat their frustration and boredom out on little minigames.

:p

Onizuka-GTO

I don't see anything wrong with playing games behind the bars as long as they are some of the worst games ever made. Superman 64 should be force-played every day for 4-5 hrs minimum under surveillance.

gencid

What the hell? I didn't even know prisoners were allowed to play videogames in the first place!

orangeson58