California officials ban pornography in prisons

sacbee.com ^ | Published 3:30 a.m. PDT Sunday, September 22, 2002 | (AP)

[TheSpottedOwl]

Look, lets be reasonable. People in jail are still *people*. They're going to have those normal urges. Isn't it better that they take care of it the old fashioned way?

[TheSpottedOwl]

What is up with your attitude? Women have had posters and pics of celebrities for years.

I can have a pic of a man fully dressed and use my imagination. He doesn't need to be naked or holding a battery operated sex toy. Sungirl you got issues....

[lawdude]

"So what?"

Did I say anything to the contrary. Aren't we a mite bit touchy?

Perhaps Paleo Neanderthal would be better.

[Sungirl]

A man fully dressed is alot different than Hustler magazine...I can't believe you don't see the difference here.

[NMFXSTC]

Amazing, ain't it?

""It is posted all over the place - on their lockers, on the walls of their cells. They even put it in their pants pocket," said
Sheree Ghidelli, a guard at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga."

Inmates have LOCKERS???

Time to make prison something real unpleasent! This is Club Med at taxpayer expense...when it should be a frightful and unwanted experience!

[mass55th]

"Inmates have LOCKERS???"

All that and more! At my facility, they have cable TV with HBO, can get packages from friends and can order items from catalogs, can have money sent to them or left on visits, get visits, have photos taken with family on visits, have photos taken during specified callouts, can purchase items at the Commissary cheaper than you or I, can subscribe to magazines and newspapers, can prepare food and have microwaves and ice machines on the units, honor dorms have iceboxes, get deathbed visits and attend funerals for family members/guardians, attend religious services and events, attend ethnic events, attend recreation in yard and gym, along with recreational events, have access to a library and law library, make phone calls on the unit and in the yard, attend school, learn a trade, make money, send money home, wear their religious garb and also personal shirts, running suits, etc., have access to a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Physician, Dentist, and specialists as needed, have access to counselors and probation officers, can participate in AAA, Alternatives to Violence, and whatever other touchy-feely program they desire, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on and on. That's all I can think of at the moment, but I'm sure there's more.

[yendu bwam]

Prisoners have no intrinsic right to pornography, nor should they be allowed to treat anyone the way described in this article without further punishment.

[MEGoody]

Convicted criminals shouldn't be allowed to have porn. The last thing the prisons need is something else to get these guys worked up.

[blastbaby]

(The prisoners should have pornography if they want it. Their pleasures are few.)

Whew - prisoners get pleasure? entitled to pleasure?

Libertarian alert - those poor prisoners - they get nothing - at least give them porn.

As I assume we are not talking about "death row inmates" here - how does porn help them assimilate into society after they are released - or is just to keep them quiet and SATISFIED until their release? Or are you offering your home as a half-way house (hopefully far away from me)

[buffyt]

All Porn should be BANNED all of the time. David Westerfield sure was INTO porn. Most convicts are INTO porn. Not all men are criminals if they use porn. But MOST prisoners use porn. MOST OF THEM are lovers of porn and many are really into drugs, too. Porn and drugs are certainly Not a good influence on them!

[buffyt]

Your comment on Reply# 68 is the BEST one here!!!!!

[Savage Beast]

First of all, what do you care whether or not prisoners look at pornography? It means nothing to you. Do you want them to suffer? Do you want them to be miserable?

Of course they should be allowed whatever pleaures it is feasible to let them have. Only a sadist would think differently. As far as I'm concerned, the purpose of prison is to get dangerous people locked up so they can't harm the rest of us. Once they're sequestered, they can be as comfortable as it's practical to make them. I'm not into cruelty, and I really think imprisonment is about as effective a deterrent as making them miserable while they're imprisoned; after all, liberty itself is worth fighting and dying for.

Whether pornography helps prisoners assimilate into society is beside the point. If it increases the difficulty of assimilating them into society, that is a valid point to raise, but there is no reason the think that it would. If it affects them at all, it is likely to make them less frustrated, angry, and hostile.

In fact, however, yes, it is just to keep them quiet and SATISFIED until their release. What's wrong with that?

And, in answer to your final--and silly--question: No, I am not offering my home as a half-way house--to prisoners or anyone else.

Hope this helps.

[Nephi]

In the last moments of Ted Bundy's life, he was asked what lead him to commit his evil acts and his response was one word, "pornography."

Use pornography at the peril of your soul.

[let freedom sing]

Use pornography at the peril of your soul.

I wouldn't think of using porno-- the thought of a cold shower or diets already took care of that. :-)

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

You win! Yours is the most disgusting and crass post I have ever seen.

[wideawake]

Oh, violent prisoners' pleasures are few?

Who gives a f*** about providing murderers, rapists, carjackers, etc. with pleasure?

It's a PRISON, you bleeding-heart mollycoddler!!!

[Savage Beast]

As long as they're locked away, they can be comfortable as far as I'm concerned. Allowing them to have pornography--or whatever they want to look at and read--is not providing them with pleasure; it's just not getting in their way if they want to provide it for themselves. Maybe you'd like to reinstitute the torture chamber, you name-calling sadist. (Also, don't forget: many an innocent person has been sentenced erroneously to prison by the state. It could happen to you.)

[blastbaby]

Hello there - I will try to post my answers to the questions you posed in your reply (starting from the last question first )

1. First, I apologize for the "silly" question about half-way house - wasn't necessary and did not further my argument and I wish to retract it.
2."do i care whether prisoners look at porn - does it bother me? Do I want them to suffer? Do I want them to be miserable?" Yes it bothers me. No I don't necessarily want them to suffer. Miserable? well... have to think on that.
3. Will porn watching affect their ability to assimilate into society... Well I guess it would depend on the percentage of porn compared to what else they were watching. Let me explain... My concern is that we are putting guys in prison and taking away privileges - but are we substituting inappropriate crutches to help them cope - me thinks there are better educational alternatives we would use.
4. If porn just satisfies and keeps them happy - I fear when they get out (as they mostly do). My opinion (and only my opinion) is that porn can lead one down a road where one does not always want to go. If you believe that a little bit of porn doesn't hurt then when does it become too much. What if we took that point of view and gave them all weed to smoke - ergo smoking weed makes you more mellow - would you come out of prison more mellow or in search of more weed? I don't know. Not too mention the fact that they are in prison - supposed to deny them something. Deny them what - church- popsicles? what? I have the freedom to watch porn if I want - I have that... Freedom. If I break the law I expect to have my freedom curtailed. I see no disconnect here.

Been a pleasure jaw'n with you.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

What do you suppose the more accurate term was that was in the original quote?

"Flog the dolphin."
"Slap the haddock."
"Punch the clown."

[BulletBrasDotNet]

Yours is the most disgusting and crass post I have ever seen.

You appear to live in an altruistic, unrealistic world; or have the same gender as a sea horse.