Saturday, February 12, 2011

Facebook to remove users in prison


After a prisoner updated his status from Facebook, the user’s account was closed because internet access in prison is not available which means someone else was operating his account. That is a violation of the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities of Facebook, which governs the relationship with users.



Prisoners in the state of South Carolina are not allowed to keep a mobile phone. Yet prisoners are found with mobile thrown to them over the fences. Prisoners found with mobiles face solitary confinement, loss of visitation and canteen privileges. Now anyone caught with a cell phone or using Facebook via mobile internet or any other means might soon be looking at 30 extra days behind bars and a $500 fine.

A new bill prepared by a Democrat Wendell Gilliard would make it unlawful for an inmate to be a member of any internet social-networking site. Anyone found using any social networking site will be convicted and will get a penalty for the offense. The bill has already 12 co sponsors as legislators think it is a good idea.


A newspaper provided details of the people in South Carolina prison who were active on Facebook. Such as Anthony Enriquez, who is serving life without parole for murdering a man he robbed of a pack of cigarettes, is an active member of Facebook, despite the facility of internet in the prison.
Wendell Gilliard said. "The inmates have been using social networking to put coded messages out about where money is to be found, who turned them in, wanting revenge. It s putting innocent people s lives at stake. The goal of the bill is to stop the inside from coming out.”


In March of 2010, Facebook closed the account of Tennessee death row inmate Nikolaus Johnson. "Being imprisoned and having a Facebook account isn t against our policies, but providing others with a password to access an account is a violation of our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, which governs our relationship with users," Andrew Noyes, public policy communications manager at Facebook, said in statement then. "Since this individual does not have Internet access, someone else is maintaining the profile. Thus, the account was disabled." added Andrew Noyes.

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