Buying flat screen plasma television sets for inmates at a sex offenders prison facility may seem like a "bonehead" idea as Gov. Tim Pawlenty said this week, but is it?
The story certainly captures interest and has been good for some quips by Pawlenty and other legislators, but in a way, it's an easy target and even a distraction from the larger issue of the expense and purpose of sex offender treatment programs and civil commitment.
The newly expanded Lyon County Jail has flat screen televisions in community rooms. Not because jail administrator Brad Marks wants to offer inmates luxury but because of practicality.
"It's cheaper than console TVs," Marks said of buying a flat screen and mounting it on a cement wall inside the jail. "Try to find a console TV and then, anchor it to a wall and secure it into the block."
The jail would need to find a manufacturer who could make a protective screen and anchor for the console television that would be of institutional grade, Marks said.
"As soon as you add institutional, that raises the price 75 to 80 percent above what it should be," Marks said.
Marks found the flat screens to be more practical and economical.
Media reports said the televisions at Moose Lake cost about $1,500 and another $700 for brackets to mount them.
Moose Lake has had its financial struggles so the cost and purchase of new flat screen televisions should lead to some questions, but for Pawlenty to order the televisions removed and sold, if possible, is silly. The money has been spent, the state will now lose money on the purchase and now, it looks as if the response was more knee jerk than to spark responsible discussion about televisions and other features in our jails and prisons and about civil commitment prisons and sex offender treatment.
Part of responsible discussion could include talking about why prisons and jails even have televisions.
Television is a management tool in the local jail, Marks said. "TV is a privilege so are phones," Marks said.
Remember, jails house convicted prisoners as well as those awaiting trial.
Sure jails and prisons could remove televisions and keep inmates in cells for much of the day, but is that best management practice? Not really.
As Marks said, televisions are a privilege and a management tool.
Inmates earn the privilege of watching television.
To completely deny inmates certain privileges many of us are accustomed would create a new set of management issues as a jail or prison increases the chances for frustration, boredom, anger and other emotions in inmates.
In short, Marks said, such an environment causes safety and security concerns for inmates and staff. And would likely lead to staff turnover.
Griping about two dozen new 50-inch flat screen televisions may get Pawlenty and legislators media ink and sound bites, but as so many other similar occasions in this state with a struggling economy, infrastructure needs that are skyrocketing and other issues, it does little to solve the big issues and even spark responsible discussion.