4 ms·

So ebooks then? What bad could possibly done by providing free access to public domain works, and access to library schemes?

koboll 5y ago
Seems dangerous. The external server might base64 some fentanyl and send it along as a header.
shagie 5y ago
That is the approach that is used, though it gets tricky. The items that an inmate can own have to be clear (so they can't be used to store contraband) and tamper proof... and if they're electric, run on regular batteries or wall current. This leads to things like a clear typewriter - http://www.swintec.com/clear-typewriters/10-2410cc.html http://www.swintec.com/clear-typewriters/10-2410cc.html The tablet that meets that requirement is made by JPay - https://www.vice.com/en/article/pgav3m/a-clear-plastic-tablet-for-prisoners-the-motherboard-review https://www.vice.com/en/article/pgav3m/a-clear-plastic-table... and it does have ebooks - https://www.jpay.com/education.aspx https://www.jpay.com/education.aspx . I will point to their wikipedia page as something to read about them - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPay https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPay One of the considerations for this is that no-one is going to give wifi and unrestricted (and unmonitored) access to the internet at large. All of the "this is stuff that you can download" needs to be accessible via another set of servers hosted somewhere with all of the associated infrastructure.
- post-it 5y ago
  Just give them Internet access. It's malicious not to. Nobody can claim to be rehabilitating prisoners while also not giving them internet access. Also, weed.
  - Starlevel001 5y ago
    The point of most prisons is cruelty, not rehabilitation.
    - RavingGoat 5y ago
      This is definitely true in the United States. No rehabilitation and trying to make money off them.
    - ohyeshedid 5y ago
      I would say cruelty is the byproduct of unchecked value extraction.

koboll 5y ago

Seems dangerous. The external server might base64 some fentanyl and send it along as a header.

shagie 5y ago

That is the approach that is used, though it gets tricky. The items that an inmate can own have to be clear (so they can't be used to store contraband) and tamper proof... and if they're electric, run on regular batteries or wall current. This leads to things like a clear typewriter - http://www.swintec.com/clear-typewriters/10-2410cc.html http://www.swintec.com/clear-typewriters/10-2410cc.html The tablet that meets that requirement is made by JPay - https://www.vice.com/en/article/pgav3m/a-clear-plastic-tablet-for-prisoners-the-motherboard-review https://www.vice.com/en/article/pgav3m/a-clear-plastic-table... and it does have ebooks - https://www.jpay.com/education.aspx https://www.jpay.com/education.aspx . I will point to their wikipedia page as something to read about them - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPay https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPay One of the considerations for this is that no-one is going to give wifi and unrestricted (and unmonitored) access to the internet at large. All of the "this is stuff that you can download" needs to be accessible via another set of servers hosted somewhere with all of the associated infrastructure.

post-it 5y ago
Just give them Internet access. It's malicious not to. Nobody can claim to be rehabilitating prisoners while also not giving them internet access. Also, weed.
- Starlevel001 5y ago
  The point of most prisons is cruelty, not rehabilitation.
  - RavingGoat 5y ago
    This is definitely true in the United States. No rehabilitation and trying to make money off them.
  - ohyeshedid 5y ago
    I would say cruelty is the byproduct of unchecked value extraction.