Facebook may mean more jail time for S.C. inmates

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The proliferation of cell phones smuggled into prisons has some inmates routinely updating their status from the inside, and South Carolina is considering becoming the first state to make that a crime.

The measure would add 30 days to a prisoner's sentence if he is caught interacting on social networking sites via cell phone. The bill goes a step further, too, making it illegal for anyone to set up a page for a prisoner, which legal experts say violates inmates' free speech rights even if they are using contraband cell phones.

Rep. Wendell Gilliard, a Democrat from Charleston who proposed the law, says crime victims shouldn't have to worry about seeing or being threatened by a prisoner online. There's also a fear convicts are coordinating criminal activity.

[GetAGrip007]

Haven't read this article-just the headline. All I'm thinking is why does ANY prisoner EVER get to be on-line AT ALL??? It's not a college dorm room... it's flipping JAIL!!!

[jtdev1]

You both should really read the article before posting.

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
aux USA, les prisons ressemblent à des hôtels de luxe,
30 jours de prison pour les prisonniers capturés en interaction,
Est-ce suffisant quand on sait que toutes sortes de trafics a lieu dans les prisons
autre chose, que dire de ceux qui sont à l'extérieur et qui ontaccès à des comptes d'utilisateurs facebook
avec la complicité de Facebook
.........
(U.S. prisons are like hotels)
30 days in jail for prisoners captured in interaction,
Is it enough when we know that all sorts of deals taking place in prisons
Another thing, what about those outside and have access to user accounts facebook
with the complicity of Facebook
"au revori"

[mecanik-2009]

Oh what a problem technology has created. What people do on the outside should be of no concern of anyone. If someone on the outside it secretly doing something the prisoner wants done then it's not the prisoners fault. Go after the guy on the outside if you can. The cell phones should not be allowed at all though.

[mask2697]

So in other words, If I were to organize a terrorist attack from inside a prison it would be okay since I had someone else do it for me, if you order the death your almost as bad as the guy who actually did it...

[mecanik-2009]

It would only be a crime if he actively transmitted the message to commit the crime. Just because you think someone wants you to do something doesn't mean he "organized" you to do it. Thinking about criminal behavior has never been a crime. How can you blame someone thats just sitting there in his cell twiddling his thumbs with a crime going on somewhere else.

[sallychicago]

Uh....excuse me, but why do the inmates have access to computers in the first place?