Video games curbing violence in Oregon prisons

I think this is the best proof to date on the matter of gaming and the (non-existant) link to violence.

I thought prison meant you don't get to enjoy the things that the outside world does?

You know, I'm more than a little curious to find out if Oregon was giving out those illegal boxes filled with old ROMs. I'd get a laugh if Oregon was discouraging violent crime with piracy, counterfeiting, and other non-violent crime?

Read again, Mike K.

Regardless of a prison's overall goal, failing to quell troubles inside will result in all sorts of trouble — murders, riots, rape, whatever. And not everybody who goes into deserves to fall victim to such things.

This is a way to keep the peace, and I think it's a great idea.

Wow, using video games to curb violent and otherwise anti-social behavior in normally "voilent and atisocial" individuals in the jail system. This would seem to be an immediate rebuttal to the stagnant stereotype of desensitized and lazy gamers. I think America's parents could learn a little something from the prison system: games are a privilege, and should be regulated and metered accordingly.

If this is what they are getting, imagine how motivated they would be if they could get a PS2 or even an Xbox360.

http://www.millionbuy.com/drgdgu806.html

Thanks Ryan, I did read it again. So... Ryan, if someone murdered your parents and was sent to prison, would you rather them have the opportunity to get the high score in Galagga, or have the opportunity to get pummeled in the shower?

I think its wonderful that my tax dollars are being spent so convicts can play video games.

That is a ridiculous thing to ask; you know full well that not everybody in prison is guilty of doing things such as murder, and in some cases they are not guilty at all — the justice system isn't bulletproof.

Regardless of how a particular inmate's past actions might affect me, I wouldn't be short-sighted enough to generalize as you are evidently perfectly capable of doing.

The ones that are in there for murder and such are unlikely to behave well enough for the eighteen months that are necessary to earn one of the consoles, anyway.

PS: If your father was wrongly sent for prison after being the only person with direct links to a murder, would you rather he have fellow inmates that'd be on their best behaviour, or ones that'd brutally rape him at the first opportunity in the showers?

Mike,
Not all prisoners are murderers. In fact, the vast majority are there on petty drug offenses. In any case, all prisoners have the chance for redemption, even if they don't have the chance to see another day of freedom outside of prison. If one chooses to spend the rest of their life sentence reading, writing, or playing simple video games, instead of raping other prisoners, then so be it. Prisons are not for punishment, but for protection of a society at large. If giving prisoners a creative outlet while they stay in jail gives them a creative outlet for when they are released after rehabilitation then what is wrong with that?

This is another in a long line of stories that prove that video games aren't the problem that the government thinks it is. They need to realize that there aren't any children to "save." Majority of gamers are in their 30s.

This sounds like a perfect situation for a Gold Farm to me. Maybe we could get these guys to play hours of WoW and get up on the Chinese. The money they make could go to lowering taxes and the cost of there incarceration. Chain gangs would be great to but all the Tree hugging Granola Crunchers of Oregon probable would like that.

Save a Tree – Eat a Beaver

Mike, civilized societies maintain prisons primarily to re-educate, not to punish the criminal element. The goal is to teach them to be better citizens by the time they get out of jail. Obviously the criminal justice system also understands there are people, who can not be re-educated. That's why you have life and death sentences.

Even if you (and I know some people do) think prisons are primarily to punish people for their crimes, the concept of cruel and unjust punishment is not the accepted norm and is specifically prohibited by law. Therefore prisons don't exist to have inmates pummel each other in showers.

Does that d-bag Jack Thompson know about this? What about Hillary?
We need to get more studies about games curbing violence (which I'm convinced is much more likely than it causing violence) so if these morons actually try and put to gether a case to...
What do thopse jerks want to do anyway, besides waste our tax dollars on their own personall hang-ups.

Rapists, child rapists and molesters and murderers should not be able to play video games while in prison. They should rot or be subjected to the same horrors as their victims but by no means should they be entertained.

#3, this is probably one of those plug and play things, similar to this:
http://www.superufo.com/pp/reviews_content.asp?title_name=The_Classic_Video_Games_Center#DreamGear

I was under the impression that these weren't violent games at all. Though the description might throw you, I think it sounds like a Bubble Bobble clone, except for the weapons part.

You can make any game sound violent if you want. He could be playing a game where you crush and incinerate enemies while collecting money. Which of course could describe Super Mario Bros.

It certainly seems to have curbed his violent behavior, but I question whether it is a change in his mentality or just that video games are now taking up time that would previously have been used to cause trouble.

According to the psychologist IGN talked to, no studies have been done testing the cathartic effect of violence. That is, no study has been designed to test if video games actually reduce violent or aggressive tendancies by allowing people to act them out on screen.
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/692/692846p1.html

It's certainly an interesting use for games, but I think we'd have to dig much deeper to use this as proof of video games curbing violence.

Screw all the happy feelings and reform talk crap. Not one inmate should have a better life than a single person that has obeyed the law of the land. (and the ‘not everyone in jail is guilty’ is not an excuse.)

Put'em all in a room and toss some knives in and let them kill each other. Last one standing gets shot by the guards.

Prison overpopulation and drain on the community problems solved.

You can't argue against pure brilliance.

This is definately a good idea to keep the peace. And it is GOOD for us GAMERS out there. If the studies prove, and the STATES will WATCH this, that gaming in prision reduces crimes, violence, deaths, etc. THIS IS GREAT FOR US ALL.

People like JACK THOMPSON, Hilderbeast Clinton, and Joe Lieberman will have NO ARGUMENT against it. (not like thay have much now, only like to spend taxpayers dollars).

This is a good thing. And it is proof throughout history, that BOREDOM is a bad thing. Even while being punished. Because you are more likely to do even worse things while bored to entertain yourself.

I only see one downfall to it...

Someone getting shanked for not returning Paper Mario on time to another cell... :D

Too add, no matter all the HBO and gaming they get in prison, and anyone jailed or in prison will tell you this. Not being able to interact with the real world, go to a store and live a real life is the worst thing about prison.

They are still caged up and cant enjoy real life. Trust on that being a terrible feeling.

Playing games does not make them have a normal life and all of that jazz. At the end of the day, they are still locked in a small 4x8 cell with nowhere to go.

"In the case of Kodi Dodgin, the games have helped him to stay out of trouble for almost two years"

Looks like he's been "Dodgin" trouble lately.
...
...
I'll let myself out.

First off, for all those people who argue in favor of doing all sorts of nasty things to inmates (regardless of what they're in for)... I recommend you read up on the U.S. Constitution. Particularly the part where they talk about cruel and unusual punishment.

Now, I personally agree that the purpose of prison is not just to punish criminals, but rehabilitate them. If video games can help with that, then by all means do it. A rehabilitated criminal is no longer a criminal - thereby making things safer for us all.

You are only safe whent the criminals are dead.

You are only safe whent the criminals are dead.

And taking away their games is not crual. Nor is it crual to give them books only and make them do hard labor for 17 hours every day.

Anything other than that is a waste.

"You are only safe whent the criminals are dead."

I totally agree with this. Police should shoot people on the spot for speeding.

' "You are only safe whent the criminals are dead."

I totally agree with this. Police should shoot people on the spot for speeding. '

Don't forget parking offences. And littering. And jaywalking.
Shoot all the gays too. Shoot all the hippies. All the elderly. Shoot em all.

Ironic, no?
Video gamers scoffing at novel/positive uses of game systems. After all, video games are only for kids.

TuttleTom, you make a great troll. Keep at it, you'll some day be able to level up to lvl 60 Troll. Just don't make it so obvious and you'll do ok.

"Nor is it crual to give them books only and make them do hard labor for 17 hours every day.

Anything other than that is a waste."

This isn't a waste. It makes prisons safer for prison
guards. Do you wish death and disfigurement upon them too? And it costs the government nothing, since the prisoners buy these themselves. Guards don't want to work in total bedlam. I suppose the State could spend tens of millions of dollars to hire hundreds or thousands more prison guards to get the same result as a free game system, but that actually would be a waste of money.

When we have CHILDREN and Adults homeless without food in this country Video games for the prisoners is pretty low on where to spend my tax dollars.

To #30. Did you read the article? Prisoners earn the right to purchase a $35 video game console with their own money.

To Rich
I don't want my tax dollars going to pay cops that kick my ass for being a little tipsy while walking home from the bar. I don't want my taxes going to build bombs that kill women and children in foreign countries (just because they're foreign doesn't mean they matter any less than the poor on our streets.) I don't want my tax dollars going to supporting illegally occupied terretories and terrorist states. I've come to terms with the fact that I won't always get what I want.

well considering these people in the prison aren't just murderers and rapists i think its quite fair they have a little something to look forward to.

think of them as your kids,do they not make mistakes and you punish them right? well its kinda like that, you also give your kids something to behave for. you know the story, your going out on a friday night and youve got a baby sitter, you tell them if there good they'll get something nice.

your tax dallors yes. but jail if for not for punishment, more rehabilitation.

this is obiously a good thing, if you give people something to keep them busy, not nessecarily fun, it still helps them stay out of trouble and from wallowing in their misery "Prisoner of Azkaban anyone". And that's just on its own, not including the fact that they have to behave to get a chance to buy something. Key words not to recieve but to buy

well then a danget chody

For everyone thats says its a waste of tax payers money IT'S NOT A WASTE OF YOUR MONEY!! THEY BUY IT WITH THEIR, MONEY THEY EARNED!!
For everyone who thinks like turtle tom and that they all should kill each other; Hello, we live in America, Not in a europeian Nation during 1940's. the consitution states NO Crule and Unusual punishment. pluse its now safer for the gards and then the gards faimly does not have to stress about his/hers safty at work.
Even if one think Games for convicts are wronge one has to support the idea since it keeps the peace and safty and provides rehabilitation. As soon as one distroys this right in our consitions, Congratz that one has lost one of their rights now, and then whats to say they wont lose some more rights.

Prison is no freedom. It doesn't mean no TV or no video games. It just happens to work out that those things are hard to come by. But if they work as an incentive for good behavior and our tax dollars aren't funding it, why not? They'll still be locked away from society so they can't hurt us which is the whole point of prison.

finally, something that may have the potential to silence Jack Thompson, and it keeps the prisoners busy too. i can't really see a justifiable complaint for this. they are paying for it with money they earned for behaving, and it gives them something better to do than rape and beat each other. i think there are alot of people that need to remember that the point of prison is to rehabilitate and not to punish. hey, constructivists... try reading that Constitution you love to reference so much.