I'm a fairly law-abiding citizen - I even cut down on my speeding after I got my first (and only) speeding ticket 5 years ago (knock on wood). So, I have no idea what it's like in prison, nor do I ever want to find out. But I saw this the other day while reading through my RSS feeds and was a little disturbed. Prisoners have tv?Q. I am a Massachusetts prisoner who currently receives analog broadcasts, and I would like to use/receive the $40 government coupon for a digital converter box. I had a family member log on to the government website (www.dtv2009.gov) and attempt to sign me up for the $40 coupon. A message was presented stating that I was not eligible for the program because the address provided was a business address, and that businesses and group living quarters are not eligible for the program. - Anonymous
A. The good news is you can keep using rabbit ears to watch until June 12, after Congress agreed to the president's request to delay the transition. The bad news is the coupons are limited to households and those who live in nursing homes or other senior care facilities. Despite objections from some prison officials, who like the idea of having prisoners distracted by watching TV, the program continues to exclude some institutions.
This just seems wrong to me. But I'm sure someone out there will disagree with me. First, it sounds like this person has his/her own personal tv while in prison. Second he/she wants our federal tax dollars to subsidize his/her digital converter box.
Click (here) for the link to the Globe.
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Andy Collins Said,
From what I have heard, most of the prisoners got new DTVs recently at one prison in MA. No cable in the prison, but they share one main antenna on the prison grounds. Some budget crisis the state is in, huh?
Posted on 2/23/09, 10:42 AM
Anonymous Said,
My brother works in a prison in Ma and told me that most of the inmates do have tvs. I'm with you, I think it's wrong.
Posted on 2/23/09, 11:35 AM
Anonymous Said,
Of course, it would be a better idea to give prisoners things like job training, rehab, education, etc., etc.; but that would be much more expensive.
Posted on 2/24/09, 12:13 PM