Can Prison Inmates Use the Internet? TRULINCS: Technology Freedoms From Inside Jail
The problem is that, if inmates use the Internet, they have access to the outside world to a degree with which wardens and other prison officials are uncomfortable. It would allow them to run business enterprises on the outside, correspond with other criminals, arrange illegal activity, and generally disrupt security of the prison. For this reason, most federal and state prisons do not give inmates access to the Internet.
Various prisons, however, have recognized the benefits of allowing inmates to use computers and even e-mail and instant messaging while incarcerated. For one thing, computer training is one of the vocational studies to which many prisoners have access. Under the close supervision of instructors, they are taught data processing, word processing, and other computer-related skills that they can use upon release. It gives them something to shoot for once they get out of prison and search for a job, and gives them the opportunity to find gainful employment.
For example, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has started a program called TRULINCS, which can be researched at InmateMessage.com. TRULINCS is an acronym for Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System, and allows prisoners to use e-mail to correspond with loved ones, though they still aren't allowed access to the Internet at large.
Using TRULINCS, inmates can add people to their contacts list, at which time their contacts are asked if they want to receive correspondence from the inmate. After that, the prisoners are given a certain number of computer hours each week, during which they can correspond with family members, friends and legal counsel. This provides a convenient alternative to the postal service, while giving inmates some measure of freedom while incarcerated. As mentioned above, however, they aren't trusted with the Internet.
Other state and local prisons have variations of the TRULINCS system, but it is doubtful that prison inmates will ever be trusted with full use of the Internet. Too much could potentially go wrong, in which case the prison would be held responsible, and jail is supposed to be punishment anyway. Nevertheless, technological advancements in the world of Internet firewalls and such may increase inmates' computer freedoms in the future.
Source:
InmateMessage.com, TRULINCS
Published by Steve Thompson
Steve is a full-time freelance writer. In addition to the more than 3,000 articles he's written for AC, he has also written articles and other materials for more than 100 happy clients. He enjoys writing abo... View profile
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17 Comments
Post a Commenthi im trying to email my husband Herman DuBois at the fci fed gilmer please help
for the people who think inmates dont know about technology well youare wrong they probably know more than any of you. Yep I was in prison and beleive me even before the email trulincs was available I already had contact with the 'free world'.. Im so glad I can communicate with my friends in there through email :D
Peace and blessings,
Regarding the use of the internet, I believe that all inmates should be allowed to use the internet, but ONLY to listen to music. That is the only advantage that they should have to the greatest extent. Most of us on this site have our views of what prison should be and how inmates should be punished. But consider this point that I m about to make, to the greatest degree of punsishment ....... some think it should be DEATH and if that occurred for ALL inmates, then "prisons would not be at all populated with inmates" the cemeteries would. That being said, businesses wouldnt be investing in prison facilities, theyd be investing in mortuaries. Now to the lesser degree of punishment, if the prisons wanted to punish inmates for their crimes, then the greatest most effective punishment is making inmates work to reconcile their crimes. For example, if the are locked up for drugs, then they should be forced to publically do anti drug training, as well as (
Inmates should not have the ability to message inmates at other facilities.
Sorry for some typos and I wish this blog program allowed spacing. *slaps head in frustration*
I am tired and I hate even reading my own post since there is no spacing allowed whatsoever.
Good night.
I can see internet having a secured internet so inmates can use it as schools have done it for quite a long time.
I know a teacher (a nice one) that has a program to protect kids by making it where all the computers are controlled by one master one.
The shocking part comes below:
The master PC can tell each computer where Joey can or can't go and that includes the desktop offline.
For example it can be made so Joey can only access a math program and any other programs will not work no matter how hard Joey tries.
The good news is Joey can either talk to the teacher in person or send an Instatn Message to the teacher if he wishes to access a certain part of the computer explaining why.
(as long as it dosen't distrubt the education of course)
If schools can do it why can't jails?
my best friend (possibly more) just went to jail he hasnt even been charged yet but someone called police and said he was a risk flight so now he is in jail all because he got drunk one night with someone he knew and then she cried rape i dont think prisoners that have a minor offense like that should be severely punished like a murderer or child molester or a raper would be punished and as i said he hasnt even went to court yet to be charged so right now he is innocent until proven guilty..sorry had to vent im so mad right now
I did two long years for a crime, I deserved what I got (first offense) I knew better but was out of my mind on drugs and hanging with low lifes. I look back now and thank God that it was miserable in there. I must have read 1,000 books. I wrote letters, that is good enough. The internet is not a necessity. For those two long uncomfortable years, it really made me think and get my head on straight and my life back on track. I promised myself that I would never put myself in a situation where there was any chance of being incarcerated. I was released August of 2007, I had a job by November, two jobs the following Summer and now I am back in an office position, full benefits, profit sharing 401k...(which I had a life like this before my demise) and I am so blessed, so grateful and I take my time in prison as a time that was productive, pro-active and where I was meant to be for that time of my life. We are where we are because the choices in our life. Prison was very humbling, h
I'm sorry, it's fine to suggest that inmates should have access to the Internet if you feel that way, but Internet access is by NO MEANS a fundamental or basic human right. Those are food, water, shelter, but not the Internet, and to suggest such a thing is ludicrous.
I think that usage of the internet is fundamental to basic human rights, and I don't think it should be seen as a privelege at all, but rather something that everyone on the planet is entitled to. The more people that can be connected to this global network, the more cohesion we can have as an entire species. The guards already intercept various attempts at communicating criminal activity by other means, and it wouldn't be hard to track what inmates are doing while they're online.