The latest saga out of California’s playbook under Governor Gavin Newsom must be seen to be believed—if one can even bear the sight. It seems Newsom has awarded an astonishing $189 million contract to hand out digital tablets to state prisoners, with an expectation that these devices would be used for educational purposes. One might think the inmates would be watching algebra tutorials or reading classic literature. Instead, it appears many of them are opting for decidedly less educational content: pornography.
According to reports, we’ve got murderers and the like merrily chatting away with folks outside the prison walls, oftentimes engaging in x-rated activities. The fact that a violent criminal like the so-called “tipster killer” is alleged to have been using his taxpayer-funded tablet to receive questionable photos and chat with strangers, speaks volumes about the mismanagement of this initiative. It seems the inmates have an easier time accessing adult content than attending a virtual math class. Talk about a misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Despite the state officials’ insistence that these devices are tightly controlled and monitored, the inmates apparently beg to differ. Some prisoners have been alarmingly open about their ability to dodge restrictions. If you’re a notorious criminal like the “tipster killer,” evading supposed oversight seems to be more of a mild inconvenience than a formidable security system. Can we really trust that these “secure devices” are more than just taxpayer-funded adult entertainment machines?
California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation assures the public these tablets offer inmates access to the Bible and educational tools to reduce crime. Finding that assurance a little hard to swallow? You’re not alone. If reports are to be believed, these prisoners are more interested in 30-second video clips of an entirely different variety. Praising the devices as crime-reducing educational tools when they double as personal pornography channels is like handing a kid a gaming console and calling it an exercise tool. Perhaps California officials simply failed to realize that prisoners with a taste for mischief could find ways around their laughably leaky security measures.
Under Newsom’s governance, California appears to be taking a dive into a rehabilitation approach akin to a Nordic wonderland. He’s even transformed San Quentin’s infamously tough death row into an artsy, cafe-loving “therapeutic” center. It all sounds quite charming, doesn’t it? Maybe they’ll start handing out rosettes for latte art next. While he envisions a gentler future for these hardened criminals, it’s the taxpayers who are left footing the bill for this unprecedented experiment. If California wanted to provide an amusement park experience for inmates, they’ve certainly hit the jackpot. Heaven help us if other states decide to follow this questionable logic down a rabbit hole of misguided kindness.
