It can't be easy to serve a sentence in prison. Being thrown into a dangerous environment away from friends and family is quite a hard pill for many to swallow. On top of that, some of these inmates may be gamers, so losing access to their hobbies is bound to make prison even worse for them.
Now, inmates in Ridson prison, Tasmania, may never have to worry about this thanks to a legislation tabled in Tasmanian Parliament earlier this week, which would allow inmates to purchase "non-standard equipment." Among the many things that fall under "non-standard equipment," video games is one of them, meaning that inmates may soon be able to play games in their cells.
Leader of government business Michael Ferguson revealed that if the bill is passed in parliament, prisoners would be able to work and earn money "in a modern prison environment."
"Some prisoners and detainees save money and they may wish to spend it on items which are not necessarily provided for by the prison," he said
"This provision will clarify that prisoners and detainees may hire non-standard equipment and items, such as game consoles and laptops."
Once the bill is passed, exactly what games will be available for inmates to get will be determined by Prisons Director Brian Edwards. Even if it's unclear what games will be allowed, it's clear which games won't. Australia is notorious for being particularly strict about what games are allowed there, and it stands to reason that if a normal, law-abiding citizen can't obtain them, then someone who committed a crime severe enough to be locked away in prison wouldn't be able to, either. So, games like "Mortal Kombat" and "Grand Theft Auto" can be immediately removed from the table.
Of course, the privilege of playing a PlayStation game, or a game on any other console for that matter, is something that needs to be earned, as one ex-prisoner in Britain, who has had video games as part of it's prison system for years, notes.
"You're only allowed to have these games if you're behaving, if you're working towards your targets," he said. "They're a reward for showing that you're willing to change, that you're going to come out of prison and not reoffend."
He added that this isn't simply a mercy rule and that the introduction of video games in prisons has beneficial implications both socially and on an inmate's health.
"So consoles are good to keep people occupied," he begins. "If you're in a cell on your own, locked in at night, that's where a lot of people can have problems. You can keep yourself busy by watching telly, but there's only so much of that you can stand, because you only have a handful of channels. I'll sit there and write letters, I'll read, because I'm educated; but some of the lads in there are illiterate. They've never been to school. You get a lot of self-harm in there, too. And when boredom kicks in, that's when you start thinking about those things. So having the consoles keeps minds occupied, I think.
"A lot of people find themselves secluded in jail, and they keep themselves to themselves, but when there's a FIFA tournament or something going on, it brings people together. Everyone gets chatting, so it's a good way of keeping the peace."
Even if being able to play games in prison is a privilege availble to the most well-behaved prisoners, should it be allowed? Yes, the games can have some benefit to them, but aren't they in there for a reason?
