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Hmmm, this one seems Ok / good idea? The bad part is jails that try to replace in person visits with paid video calls. Besides obvious humanitarian part, preser

Hmmm, this one seems Ok / good idea? The bad part is jails that try to replace in person visits with paid video calls. Besides obvious humanitarian part, preserving inmates ties to family and community is obviously important for eventual reintegration and for reducing offense rates of inmate's children. But here? A letter is a letter and free individuals don't get much physical mail anymore. There are obvious angles for abuse and inmates don't have a right to privacy, for good reasons. Digitize mail, keep in person visits and allow properly screened physical presents for inmates with good behavior.

godzillabrennus 4y ago
Imagine being deprived of your freedom and not being able to have letters you can read anytime, only when you’re permitted to use a computer. Seems even more unfair than it already is.
- cat_plus_plus 4y ago
  There are good and bad implementation, one might give inmates the printouts.
ahoy 4y ago
Man, this is one of the more soulless comments ive read on HN. Imagine the father who's been locked up on trumped up drug charges, now unable to get a letter from his kid. You could only arrive at your opinion if you think that the US Justice system is fair, and that inmates aren't people. I strongly suggest you rethink this.
- cat_plus_plus 4y ago
  Imagine a Godfather locked up on accurate drug charges ordering hits on his rivals using invisible ink? Introducing a digital layer reliably prevents all kind of exploits. If the issue is innocence, you are not going to solve this with half steps, in fact an innocent guy can end up being stabbed by a razor smuggled in a postcard. If people are guilty, they are still humans but we have no reason to trust them and need to protect ourselves from their potential bad intents as much as possible.
SllX 4y ago
The privatize the digital scanning part is the issue. It’ll just be another thing for some company to charge for. Just deliver the damn mail and stop trying to turn jails and prisons into a profit center.
gambiting 4y ago
>>Hmmm, this one seems Ok / good idea? Did you read the article? It explicitly says several other US states have already done this, and it hasn't reduced the prevelance of drugs in the system. So I really don't see why this is a "good idea"? >>inmates don't have a right to privacy, for good reasons. They do though. It's severely limited, but it exists. Article also mentions this, if you read it?
- cat_plus_plus 4y ago
  Who said drugs are the only problem? How about handmade weapons (can cut someone's throat with a glass shard), hidden messages, non-hidden messages missed during inspection? Once things are digitized they can be investigated if something happens and anyone aiding criminal acts can be held responsible. Inmates certainly have privacy to consult their lawyer. They should not have privacy to plan additional crimes with arbitrary people outside. If at some point we decide they earned an exception, that can be handled accordingly.
  - gambiting 4y ago
    I think you are misunderstanding. The letters are always opened and checked for contraband. But they aren't read. >>They should not have privacy to plan additional crimes with arbitrary people outside. And how does this system prevent them from doing such a thing? The letters still won't be read by anyone - just digitized, in some mistaken belief that this will prevent contraband getting into prisons(which it won't - because letters aren't and never were the source of it - corrupt guards are). This is purely a scheme to give private corporations money - I literally don't understand why so many people here are defending it.
    - cat_plus_plus 4y ago
      Human inspection is not perfect, creatively concealed objects and hidden messages can be overlooked. Digitization creates a strong barrier to any trickery. Plus, if there is a suspicion regarding a particular inmate, then a record of his/her correspondence can be examined for clues. Again, very few free individuals communicate by paper letters or use strong end to end encryption on their e-mail. Why the sudden special consideration for criminals? I am not opposed to allowing physical presents including say a scented postcard if circumstances warrant it (minor offense or good behavior).
buildbuildbuild 4y ago
Books.

godzillabrennus 4y ago

Imagine being deprived of your freedom and not being able to have letters you can read anytime, only when you’re permitted to use a computer. Seems even more unfair than it already is.

cat_plus_plus 4y ago
There are good and bad implementation, one might give inmates the printouts.

ahoy 4y ago

Man, this is one of the more soulless comments ive read on HN. Imagine the father who's been locked up on trumped up drug charges, now unable to get a letter from his kid. You could only arrive at your opinion if you think that the US Justice system is fair, and that inmates aren't people. I strongly suggest you rethink this.

cat_plus_plus 4y ago
Imagine a Godfather locked up on accurate drug charges ordering hits on his rivals using invisible ink? Introducing a digital layer reliably prevents all kind of exploits. If the issue is innocence, you are not going to solve this with half steps, in fact an innocent guy can end up being stabbed by a razor smuggled in a postcard. If people are guilty, they are still humans but we have no reason to trust them and need to protect ourselves from their potential bad intents as much as possible.

SllX 4y ago

The privatize the digital scanning part is the issue. It’ll just be another thing for some company to charge for. Just deliver the damn mail and stop trying to turn jails and prisons into a profit center.

gambiting 4y ago

>>Hmmm, this one seems Ok / good idea? Did you read the article? It explicitly says several other US states have already done this, and it hasn't reduced the prevelance of drugs in the system. So I really don't see why this is a "good idea"? >>inmates don't have a right to privacy, for good reasons. They do though. It's severely limited, but it exists. Article also mentions this, if you read it?

cat_plus_plus 4y ago
Who said drugs are the only problem? How about handmade weapons (can cut someone's throat with a glass shard), hidden messages, non-hidden messages missed during inspection? Once things are digitized they can be investigated if something happens and anyone aiding criminal acts can be held responsible. Inmates certainly have privacy to consult their lawyer. They should not have privacy to plan additional crimes with arbitrary people outside. If at some point we decide they earned an exception, that can be handled accordingly.
- gambiting 4y ago
  I think you are misunderstanding. The letters are always opened and checked for contraband. But they aren't read. >>They should not have privacy to plan additional crimes with arbitrary people outside. And how does this system prevent them from doing such a thing? The letters still won't be read by anyone - just digitized, in some mistaken belief that this will prevent contraband getting into prisons(which it won't - because letters aren't and never were the source of it - corrupt guards are). This is purely a scheme to give private corporations money - I literally don't understand why so many people here are defending it.
  - cat_plus_plus 4y ago
    Human inspection is not perfect, creatively concealed objects and hidden messages can be overlooked. Digitization creates a strong barrier to any trickery. Plus, if there is a suspicion regarding a particular inmate, then a record of his/her correspondence can be examined for clues. Again, very few free individuals communicate by paper letters or use strong end to end encryption on their e-mail. Why the sudden special consideration for criminals? I am not opposed to allowing physical presents including say a scented postcard if circumstances warrant it (minor offense or good behavior).

buildbuildbuild 4y ago

Books.