prison

Facebook to delete prison inmates' active accounts

Facebook is working with prison officials to delete accounts that belong to inmates that are found to be updated while they are incarcerated.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the cooperative effort is designed to crackdown on inmates using social networking or cell phones to deliver threats or unwanted sexual advances.

"Access to social media allows inmates to circumvent our monitoring process and continue to engage in criminal activity," CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate said in a statement. "This new cooperation between law enforcement and Facebook will help protect the community and potentially avoid future victims.&… Read more

The 404 872: Where we hold hands and jump (podcast)

Today, CNET Labs editor Joseph Kaminksi is filling in for Jeff, who's on staycation all week in New Jersey. As usual, Joseph, aka Ozone, brings us a handful of stories from the tech world to discuss, including a study showing Internet Explorer users have a lower IQ, a CPR site that lets you touch hot girls' chests with no legal repercussions, and a Web app that calculates exactly how much time you'll spend in jail for your crime!

The 404 Digest for Episode 871

Internet Explorer users have a lower IQ, study shows. CPR site lets you choose and touch hot girls' chests, guilt-free. How much prison time? There's an app for that. Logitech drops Revue price to just $100.

Episode 871 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Computer-savvy prison inmates to man call centers?

So you have a problem with your credit card.

Perhaps you'd like to check on a charge that looks slightly illicit.

You call your credit card company. Your call is answered by someone in a call center in India. This might be someone who knows a little about illicit transactions. It might also be someone who is in jail for murder.

As usual, I am deadly serious.

For the Guardian happily informs me that the guardians of Indian prisons are experimenting with a new program that puts some of their computer-savvy inmates into the workforce. Their task will be … Read more

Has Google decided jail is funny?

Google has finally chosen to be socially conscious.

Oh, of course I'm kidding. Just like those deeply witty Googlies who have reportedly decided to make an April Fool's jape out of jail.

Fast Company appears to have accessed an April 1 amusement, in which the repression-averse company claims it will make jails a better experience for the masses. Which presumably includes mass murderers.

The idea is Google Jail for Communities. And, in the reported words of the company for whom doing evil would constitute doing time for life, this experiment comprises an attempt to bring the finest aspects … Read more

BOL 1075: One laptop per felon

Or perhaps we should call it OLPC. One laptop per criminal. The idea of letting prisoners use computers is good, but fraught with peril. Also, we start a new PSA campaign where Billy learns that e-mail can be dangerous. And that's one to grow on.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1075

PSP Go arrives, Sony launches 100 games http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=105D7C9D-1A64-67EA-E402F9BD3FAEBCDC

Google Wave First Look http://lifehacker.com/5370738/google-wave-first-look

Google Wave invites for sale on eBay http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/10/01/google-wave-invites-for-sale-on-ebay/… Read more

The 404 Extended Vacation Throwback: Episode 212, 10/23/08

Unfortunately, 2/3 hosts of The 404 aren't feeling well this morning, but you'll be psyched to hear this throwback episode, where we make Dan (the mantern) smell-lel-lel-lel what the 404 issss cookin. But don't stress out too much, we'll be back tomorrow for another live feed. Enjoy!

Are Justin and Wilson offended by the title of the new Guns 'N' Roses album? What kind of music does Wilson like? (HINT: It starts with "mmmm" and ends with "usical theater.") Can Chinese people really nap anywhere? How many poo-poo jokes can we … Read more

Prison-style Study Ball keeps students shackled to desk

Are your easily distracted kids having trouble getting motivated to write that term paper? Why not chain them to their desks until they've done what they're supposed to do? It might sound a bit extreme, but hey, if you want your kids to get into Harvard, sometimes extremes are what it takes!

The Study Ball is a prison-style ball and 16.5-inch chain with a built-in, programmable timer. Select the desired duration of the study session and chain the ball to the ankle in question, and the steel manacle won't come off until the scheduled time is … Read more

Calif. mulls criminalizing cell phones in prison

One California state senator is trying to crack down on inmates using cell phones while serving time.

Prison inmates in California aren't really permitted to have cell phones. They have to forfeit their devices before being locked up. But that hasn't stopped thousands of phones from being smuggled into prisons each year. In fact, officials say that the number of cell phones confiscated in California prisons has doubled in the last year from 1,400 devices in 2007 to about 2,800 in 2008. And the problem appears to be getting worse this year.

Currently, being in possession … Read more

Remembering 'The Prisoner' creator/star Patrick McGoohan

We're saddened to learn that actor/writer/director Patrick McGoohan has died at age 80. His cult favorite TV series, The Prisoner (1967-68), was startlingly forward-thinking in its imaginative use of technology, presaging surveillance societies, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.

After starring in the '60s spy series Danger Man (and turning down the role of James Bond), McGoohan turned the genre on its head and created and starred in (as well as writing and directing several episodes of) this 17-episode story arc about a kidnapped secret agent. The show played off of Cold War paranoia, with plenty of genre-breaking … Read more