Prison Forced to Cut Netflix Subscription Due to Budget Cuts

Chicago BreakingNews reports that an Illinois prison was forced to cut a Netflix subscription as part of recent budget cuts.

When Lake County Jail inmates behaved, officials ordered a little weekend entertainment from Netflix, showing such hits as "Schindler's List" and "Hotel Rwanda."

"We didn't let the inmates choose them," said Richard Liddle, the jail's inmate program manager. "Or we'd have been watching '(The Texas) Chainsaw Massacre.'"

But the curtain has been dropped on the perk now that the jail's $35 monthly Netflix subscription has been canceled -- a tiny portion of the $2 million  in budget cuts that Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran disclosed Thursday.

Thanks to Lamarr for sending this in.

Comments

[Will Dearborn]

$35 monthly subscription?

[ScottZ]

Oh the horror!

[Dennis]

They needed a six DVD at-a-time subscription to show an occasional weekend movie? Hmmm.

[Sock Puppet]

My thoughts exactly Dennis...

[Moss Berg]

The article continues on to say the prisoners themselves paid for the subscription through money they spent in the commissary. Prison commissaries bring in quite a sum of money every year which pays for some of the services prisoners receive. It's also an opportunity for corruption but no surprise there I suppose. Anyway, it looks like they couldn't choose which flick they'd see.

[things]

before people comment about them getting such a luxury...you can't pend them in cages like animals with ZERO release of conditions will get worse and more violent.

[things]

*or not "of"

sigh....

[Gran]

Why should they be allowed to watch movies. They are in prison, they should get no luxuries. They made the CHOICE to go to prison. Let's put them in a cage like the animals they are.

[Bogart Bumquest]

Warden saw Shawshank Redemption in the queue.

[Seth]

Apparently the prisoners were very unhappy with the recent Warner deal and additional fee for Blu-ray discs.

"Why should we have to wait for Warner titles?" said Wannabe Blossom, a prisoner in charge of the weekly movie showings.

"We all read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger in our weekly book salon," the ex-con said. "I was really looking forward to the movie. Then we check online and Netflix says DVD and Blu-ray March 9, 2010."

"That's totally a lie!" bristled Blossom. "It came out three days ago. That should be illegal. We ended up getting Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs but my cellmate was really upset."

"Maybe we should switch to Blockbuster. I just don't know."

[jjfromnyc]

seriously, Seth, thanks for that - i needed a good laugh today

[vio]

Why should they be allowed to watch movies. They are in prison, they should get no luxuries. They made the CHOICE to go to prison. Let's put them in a cage like the animals they are.

Because most of them are in there for years and have to be entertained to some extent or they will start losing it and get out of control. Thus fights, riots and other big problems ensue.

This is not to say I sympathize with scumbag murderers, gang members, rapists, child molesters, wife beaters, etc. They're all trash(assuming they weren't wrongly convicted of a crime they didn't commit).

[macinjosh.pip.verisignlabs.com]

Netflix has announced they will start accepting cartons of cigarettes and "that tasty-lookin' pudding you got there" as payment.

[Gran]

Because most of them are in there for years and have to be entertained to some extent or they will start losing it and get out of control. Thus fights, riots and other big problems ensue.

Hard to riot when you are locked up in your cell for 24 hours a day. Look, they get TV access. You want them to have Netflix access. What's next, nail salon and hot tub?

[Scott]

The idea of being able to give some special rewards for good behavior is inherently sensible. No organization works optimally with all stick and no carrot, not even prison. And remember, the goal of prison isn't merely punishment, it's also rehabilitation, so that they can be better citizens when eventually released. The benefit of this program was probably worth the $35.

[vio]

Hard to riot when you are locked up in your cell for 24 hours a day. Look, they get TV access. You want them to have Netflix access. What's next, nail salon and hot tub?

Who told you they were locked up in their cells 24 hours a day? You do realize that in most prisons they get out of their cells to eat, go out onto the yard, take part in programs, shower, etc?

[Gran]

What I'm saying is that they SHOULD be locked in their cells 24 hours a day.

[Bill]

Damn, they will never get to see how Prison Breaks ends now!!

[Marcus]

They're scofflaws, and animals, and thus should be treated as such.

[Moss Berg]

Locked up in their cells for 24 hours a day and treated like animals? When they get out they'll be better men for sure.

[things]

What I'm saying is that they SHOULD be locked in their cells 24 hours a day.

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such a shallow minded comment. I am all for punishment but not everyone in prison needs to be locked up like that. You don't want to make people worse.

[Tom]

The prison might actually get hit by a lawsuit -- not from the prisoners, but form the movie studios.

You know that FBI warning that's so annoyingly at the beginning of every DVD? Prisons are considered a "public exhibition" venue. Just like schools, or cruise ships, or buses. Renting a "home use only" DVD and showing it to the inmates is in violation of copyright law.

[Tester]

@Tom:

"Renting a "home use only" DVD and showing it to the inmates is in violation of copyright law."

Wouldn't it be ironic if the warden wound up in jail...as an inmate?

[Seth]

That's interesting, Tom.

[Moss Berg]

"Prisons are considered a "public exhibition"

This is correct. Title 17 of the US code of The Federal Copyright Act.

Compliance with the copyright law is rather simple, in any event. Most institutions just make a phone call to the MPLC and are granted a license over the phone.