Should incarcerated convicts be allowed to access Facebook? It's a topic which often polarises discussion, but for those prisoners who believe "life in jail is like being on holiday", it's already regarded as a fait accompli.From the UK, convicted killer Ashley Graham recently posted just such a sentiment on his Facebook page after having smuggled a mobile phone into his cell, from where he also uploaded a picture of himself "relaxing" naked. Likewise in Australia, inmates in a high security compound have been found using Facebook to virtually break free of their physical restrictions, openly and publicly defying all rules to the contrary by updating their social networking profiles.Amongst those who have been caught was Konstantinos Georgiou, a former Rebel biker convicted of killing three members of the rival Bandidos gang. From jail he managed to update more than 160 friends on his everyday life, including posting pictures of himself working out. He said he was happy with the kinds of freedom the social networking sites provided, and that he was able to contact all his "brothers" for the first time in seven years - although the unsanctioned content has since been deleted.Despite rules restricting its use by those who are either imprisoned or otherwise subject to censorship, THE WORLD WIDE WEB IS CONSISTENTLY REGARDED AS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENt, and whilst most countries do not allow prisoners to freely surf the web, some areas are trialling less restrictive measures. The US State of Kansas has started to relax some of its rules around Internet accessibility for inmates, and following a reform of the penitentiary system prisoners can now use email, online banking and even video conferencing tools. In perhaps a victory for the incarcerated, won by continued attempts to circumvent smuggling rules in the past, one of the main aims of the scheme is actually to reduce the cost of opening paper letters to search for contraband.Some argue that IN ORDER TO BE PRODUCTIVE FOR SOCIETY UPON THEIR RELEASE, PRISONERS SHOULD BECOME FAMILIAR WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY DURING THEIR INCARCERATION - and social networks are cited as an ideal tool to help convicts understand and keep abreast of the changes to the Web. But whilst some advocates focus on the educational and developmental potential of such access, others have turned to the markets to inform the debate. With ever-increasing prison populations - the US alone has 2.3 million people incarcerated in its jails - Facebook alone has not provided enough relief for those who, legally or otherwise, are interested in content generated by, or about, convicts.Prison Voices, despite being presented as a tool which is not accessible by inmates directly, describes itself as a network for prisoners and their families and friends. The choice of language in its mission statement is unequivocal: "a truly, completely free service for inmates to keep two-way contact with the free world while they're still incarcerated." Amongst its facets are profiles of inmates, including age, gender, and sexual preferences - and the homepage even highlights a "featured inmate". Visitors are invited to find a new pen pal, or browse a list of those who are "wrongfully convicted".For those less inclined to find inmates for exchanging letters or dating, the network also has launched a Facebook page which has attracted over 190,000 participants, but it's a well-documented phenomenon that prisoner dating websites have been experiencing increasing success in the Web 2.0 world. Inmate Passions is an online dating and social networking site for people in jail, "and those interested in them". The website, and many others like it, has a chat system, a discussion forum, an image gallery and a "most popular profiles" section.Therein lies the complexity of the distinction between unfettered access to the Internet and the freedoms which the incarceration system has been designed to remove. Many countries have enabled some forms of Internet access but leave the use of social networks banned from jail, precisely as part of the punitive measures handed-out on conviction - and it's not necessarily restricted to those who are locked behind bars. The Italian Highest Court recently ruled that Facebook access is to be forbidden even for those under house arrest. For Italian convicts, the Internet can only be used for educational purposes, and specifically not for connecting to or interacting with others. "Prisoners cannot use Facebook or any other social network and Internet access is limited", says a spokesperson from an Italian Ministry of Justice office in charge of prison management.As the ubiquity of Internet access grows, and the reliance upon social networking by the general population increases with it, the approach of various governments to deal with the demand from prisoners and their families has been at times incoherent - but many are quick to point out that changes are finally being made. The UK Ministry of Justice has recently stated its concerns regarding the number of prisoners who have been able to upload material to Facebook and other sites using mobile phone technology. In an effort to curb the increasing amount of contraventions, prisons in England and Wales have been testing systems to block mobile phone reception in controlled areas, and the UK Prison Service has also been investing in body scanners to search visitors and inmates alike for concealed SIM cards.As with any system though, the weakest point is sometimes that of rogue employees: last year a UK prison officer Nathan Singh was found to have conducted inappropriate relationships with criminals housed within the prison at which he worked. Despite his proximity to those concerned he used Facebook to connect with the inmates - such is the depth to which these tools are becoming woven into the fabric of how some societies communicate. He was dismissed after the scandal was uncovered, but it proved a setback for those campaigning for the relaxation of rules governing prisoners' access - as did the recent discovery by a BBC investigation that up to 30 Facebook pages had been taken offline after prisoners were found to be using the social network to taunt their victims from behind bars.In an online debate following the discovery, some commentators pointed out the disparity between the access granted to prisoners - or otherwise available at least - and that offered to employees in the free world. Employers are increasingly restricting access to Facebook from office premises, worried that the website wastes time and distracts attention - in fact last year Facebook was the second most commonly blocked site amongst corporate and University internet access providers. Commentators argue prisoners undergoing punishment for their convictions are, in some cases, gaining rights to access sites denied to those whose only conviction is to live as an innocent citizen.Despite the varying degrees to which Internet access is either blocked or permitted from within prisons, the root of the debate is sure to remain steadfast for some time yet: the message of education and prisoner reform is far from having convinced the voting population en masse. As one commentator put it, "The problem is that we have become pussy-footed in the treatment of prisoners... The deterrent effect of imprisonment has been removed and prisoners have become one of the privileged classes in society". Given the number of re-offenders who openly admit to choosing life in prison over a life on the streets, this argument is difficult to counter.
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