HMP Belmarsh is quite close to where I live. Actually, I can see it at the bottom of the hill every time I walk to ctach the bus in the morning. As most people know it is a category one prison which, officially at least, means the most hardened dangerous criminals and security threats get sent there.
This makes me wonder why there are, according to the Prisons Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, "41 laptop computers are currently available for use by prisoners". Don't get me wrong, computer training? Fine. Desktops in a room that is a controlled environment sounds perfectly reasonable, but laptops?
Are the USB ports deliberately destroyed on them to stop someone shoving a 15 wireless card in it? Do they have CD-Roms that are disabled to stop the installation of mobile phone software to use 3G to connect to the Internet? I hope so otherwise it would be a very odd security policy for a maximum security prison.
8 comments:
Apparently according to the Home Office, they are monitored and no internet useage is allowed.
They are stopped from accessing software/hardware that will allow them access to that.
Oh and apparently any attempted breach will result in removal of privilages and laptop.
That said, we all know how wonderful the Home Office is and how sucessful many of their measures have been.
Well that's comforting to here. Still don't understand why they've gone laptops though.
Possibly due to pressures of space? ie. They might not want to devote a particular room to being a computer centre as it also gets used for other purposes. With laptops it would be easier to clear things away.
Another reason is that you might want to keep certain individuals apart. If you still want to grant them access to computers then you can let them borrow a laptop and use it in their cell.
At which point, in their cells, they're no longer monitored. From a pure ecurity point that would be bad.
Possessing a mobile in such a prison is a very serious offence. Visitors are not allowed to take their own in with them.
Didn't Mr Guinness run his business from prison? And of course Archer wrote books ... sending an outline - or sometimes even just a title - scratched on a waxed slate to his team of recess monkeys for elaboration.
I believe it's because they can lock them away when not in use. And move them into different areas of the building - I don't think they get them to walk around with and keep them in their cells overnight.
Prisoners are entitled to use laptops if they are appealing against conviction or sentence. I am sure you would object if prisoners got their entitlement to have a law library in every prison like in the States?
Errr no actually I wouldn't object at all. Although I don't think it should be an "entitlement" I just think it should be there. Nothing wrong with libraries at all, far better than playstations.
I still don't see why it should be laptops though purely from a security standpoint. It is far easier to control a physically secured machine than a mobile one.
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