Internet Access for Inmates - Essay Example

INTERNET ACCESS FOR INMATES The world has changed a lot in the information sector from the dark stage to the now efficientand dependable stage. Internet has been very instrumental in making information passing easy and connecting people. The internet can offer a lot of knowledge as well as training individual on various courses. However, everything that is advantageous always has its own disadvantages. The internet has destroyed morals and has made it easy for crime committers to do their job easily. Different countries have their own rules of prisons some of which allow the inmates to access the internet and others deny them that chance. People have different arguments on this controversial issue some considering it as worthwhile while others viewing it as not safe and cost ineffective. Most people view prisoners as outcasts in the community and argue that they should not be treated well. Most countries do not allow inmates to have access to the internet arguing that it insecure and that they will not feel the pain of the sentence. They also say that access to internet may lead to them planning their way out since they can plan with people from outside. Denying inmates the chance to access the internet could also create more time for them to carry out other activities. Removing the family ties by no access to internet could also help them reform by feeling the pain that comes with being away from their families. Most prisons work under a tight budget and therefore removing the cost due to internet access could save much in the end. Prisons without internet access have been ranked top in terms of discipline in the prison and discipline of the prisoners in the outside world after the jail term is over. Internet tends to destroy morals of people in general and prisoners are not an exception. Therefore lack of access to internet reduces the chances of moral destruction .access to internet could also give inmates a chance to smuggle drugs by contacting the sellers of drugs. Access to the internet could also lead to the inmates keeping up with the criminal activities that are being incarcerated. Inmates have also been found taunting their victims through social media and lack of internet access could eliminate this. However, the disadvantages of denying internet access to inmates are very insignificant as compared to the advantages that it comes with. Inmates are human beings and they deserve to be treated like the rest of citizens (Bowden ,4).Prisons should be viewed as rehabilitation centers rather than centres of punishment. They should be handled well so that they become better individuals after the jail term and if possible much more important people than came into the prison. Access to the internet would be very beneficial towards achieving this dream. Many schools and institutions provide e-learning facility that could be utilized by the inmates some of whom maybe continuing students in such institutions. Prisoners willing to continue with their studies will reduce the time that would have been wasted while serving the sentence. Simple skills can also be taught through the internet on sites such as you-tube. Prisoners would have the chance to develop themselves academically through such sites and this will produce better individuals in the end. A report done by the USA government showed that 78 percent of inmates are parents with an average of two children. Imprisonment of such parents leads to this children suffering because they lack a breadwinner. However, this could be solved by allowing the inmates to access the internet, which provides many online jobs. Prisoners could have a chance to continue helping their families financially for upkeep and education. Unemployed inmates could also have a chance of getting their selves jobs in the internet that will benefit them during their time in prison as well as in their life after the sentence is over. A family is the most important social unit and it gives happiness to its members. Prisoners should be allowed to interact with members of their family through the internet on social sites. This helps strengthen family ties as well as maintain the relationship with the family (Bowden, 7). Through such ties the family members and friends will help in reforming the inmates by constantly advising the inmates so that their character changes. Access to internet could help in reintegration of the inmates to the society and could help reduce the chances of committing the offences that will lead them to jail again. Prisons provide training programs to the in-mates which is a requirement in all the jails (Bowden, 3). In the educational world today, a teacher or a trainer may not be sufficient in delivering all the information. As much as most jails have libraries, access to the internet could help the trainee’s access more information concerning the course they are being trained. In normal conditions, it is impossible to pursue a degree or write a thesis without internet access. The same case applies to the prisoners, accessing the internet would help them in doing their courses easily, and hence it is important to let them access the internet. Not all the inmates are in prison by virtue of committing a crime. Some of the inmates are victims of circumstances who landed into prison wrongly. Such people could use the internet to get legal advice by accessing law websites. This would also help inmates who want to file for appeals on the length of their jail terms. Access to the internet provides them with the chance of knowing the law well and they could be able to get points and arguments to support themselves in the court. Jails being rehabilitation centres could also benefit so much from the internet in bid of rehabilitating the inmates. The internet provide very any guidance books and videos that the inmates could read and watch so that to gain new character. Technology provides many solutions in rehabilitating inmates safely and securely. Lack of internet access poses a risk of sending the inmates back to the society without changing their character and without motivation to live their lives out of crime. Each inmate has a right to enjoy entertainment. Most jails provide radios and televisions as the only source of entertainment. The internet provides many forms of entertainment that inmates should access. Being an inmate does not stop a person from continuing to be a citizen of their country. At one point the inmate will be released from prison and continue with their lives. Due to this, the inmates should be kept updated on the activities happening in their country both politically and technology wise. Although this is partially done by access to televisions and radios, the internet could be of much use in this. The inmates should get information about their country from the internet so that there are updated always. It will ensure that by the time they are out of prison they will fit into life easily. New rules are posted in the internet by the government and it is important for inmates to access the internet to get such information. In conclusion, the advantages of internet access to inmates override the disadvantages and therefore the government should encourage prisons to offer internet access. It is the aim of all the prisons to change the behavior of inmates and transform them to better individuals and the internet will be very instrumental in this. Work Cited Bowden, Teresa. "A Snapshot of state prisons with a focus on internet access." Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian 2(2), p.1-12. Read More