Posted on 11/13/2006 8:16:13 AM PST by Froufrou
Thirty condemned killers on Texas death row have pages on the controversial teen website 'myspace.com' where they openly encourage young girls to communicate with them and frequently put out racist and violent messages, 1200 WOAI news reported today.
While inmates are not allowed access to the internet, the pages are created and maintained by relatives and friends, 1200 WOAI news reported. None of the pages open concedes that the person who is asking your son or daughter to 'be his friend' actually admits that the person on the page is a vicious killer waiting to die, frequently for sexual related murders.
"I can't see why you would want to legitimize someone on death row, and give them a universal platform to espouse their ideas," said Andy Kahan, a victim's rights advocate with the city of Houston, who often speaks out on bizarre activities on Texas Death Row. Kahan's last case was the so called 'murderabilia' scandal, in which death row inmates were making money selling everything from cell produced art to their fingernails and toenails, on E-Bay.
Teenager Crystal Sauceda was worried about the report.
"If I had a my space account I really would not want to come across somebody who said, 'hey, I'm not a killer...would you be my friend'?" Sauceda said.
Prisoners rights advocate Ray Hill said what the inmates are doing is not illegal.
"If you're a living, breathing human being with ideas, your words are protected by our system," Hill said.
Regards, Ivan
Teenager Crystal Sauceda was worried about the report. "If I had a my space account I really would not want to come across somebody who said, 'hey, I'm not a killer...would you be my friend'?" Sauceda said.
I was really wondering what Teenager Crystal Sauceda thought about this issue. Thank you, intrepid journalist, for tracking her down and sharing her thoughts.
Again, I am confused as to why prisoners have internet access.
"If you're a living, breathing human being with ideas, your words are protected by our system," Hill said.
Well, there's the problem....they're still living and breathing!
Article quote:
"While inmates are not allowed access to the internet, the pages are created and maintained by relatives and friends, 1200 WOAI news reported."
Bwahahahaha! You're in rare form today, Ivan!
They don't: "While inmates are not allowed access to the internet, the pages are created and maintained by relatives and friends, 1200 WOAI news reported."
In before the "myspace is the devil" comments.
VR - thanks for pointing that out. I guess this is tantamount to a workaround?
Next you know, prisoners will be able to do a lot more online.
Click here to order your last meal.
Click here if you'd like fruit cup.
Click here if you're allergic to iodine.
Click here for the electric chair or here for firing squad.
Regards, Ivan
This is something that has been happening for a long time. But, I guess it's a big deal just because it's the "evil Myspace".
I don't recall hearing any outcry when someone acknowledged that inmates were making marketing calls.
This is an issue of outside communications. In the old days, there was mail and phone calls and visitations, and that's all. And the mail was opened and read, both outgoing and incoming.
Sorry to use your post as my soapbox. :-) I heard all the same arguments about "the Internet is the devil" ten years ago. I figure it's a tool and it's all in how people use it. I know I have found friends and write to new contacts that I may not have otherwise.
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