What the heck? Sending to a prison??

PopeSock

An item I'm selling on PlayTrade - a PS2 - is currently on order, since people have half an hour leeway to cancel their order. It's possible the order will go through or get cancelled - but I can still see the postage details, and the sendto address is a prisoner, in a prison! Which is setting warning bells off - I called PlayTrade and they advised me to refund the item if I can't send it, which I'm going to do. Has anyone ever had this happen to them before, either on PlayTrade or E-Bay?

Alias_Omega

The item might of been bought on behalf of them by a family member.

They probably have a PS2 in the prison section, and wants a new game for it.

PopeSock

Yes, but it wasn't a game - it was an actual Playstation 2 console.

EDIT: I've refunded the item.

As for it being banned, I couldn't find anything on the prisons website as per that prison, but at least one prison has banned PS2s due to them doubling as DVDs and being used to play pornographic DVDs. Some other pages for different prisons state that most things can't be sent through the post, other than photographs and clothing.

Another consideration was that if the console broke down, I'd have to give my postal address to get it send back.. yeah... not to keen on that.

WhiteHorse

Phone the prison and ask if such items will be accepted for delivery. Many things are banned.

caroline78

A very ex partner of mine was in jail and got me to bring him in a console...it was so long ago it was the Super Nintendo and some games...so I would quite happily send this..

d123

Seems one third of prisoners have their own games console.
http://www.independent.ie

More than 36,000 inmates are allowed to play video games in prison, figures have shown.

Junior justice minister Crispin Blunt said more than a third of prisoners in England and Wales were eligible to own games consoles under a good behaviour scheme.

But he stressed that no public money had been used to buy consoles or games for adult prisoners since 2008, with inmates and their families footing the bill.

In a written parliamentary answer to Helen Grant, Tory MP for Maidstone and the Weald, Mr Blunt said 36,202 prisoners were on the "enhanced level" of the incentives and earned privileges scheme and "eligible to have a games console of their own in their possession".

"To establish how many of those eligible actually had a games console of their own would necessitate asking each prisoner individually at disproportionate cost," said Mr Blunt. "Since July 23, 2008, no public funds have been used to purchase games consoles for adult prisoners. They must be purchased by the prisoner or his/her family or friends."

Mr Blunt also said 83,017 prisoners were eligible to rent in-cell televisions under the good behaviour scheme - 97% of the 85,269 people currently jailed in England and Wales.

Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, asked what video games had to do with rehabilitation as he hit out at the figures.

"It's just further evidence that prisons resemble more of a holiday camp than a place of punishment," he said "When people reflect on the reasons that inmates are in prison they will be appalled that prisoners are allowed to do this kind of thing. Prison should be a punishment for committing either serious or persistent offences. Most people will conclude that prison has completely lost sight of what its purpose is - punishing or even rehabilitating people."

In 2008, an audit turned up 12,948 games consoles in prisons and young offender institutions, with £221,726 of taxpayers' money spent on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo systems and software.

Last year it emerged that more than 4,000 prisoners had satellite television in their cells.

But that last fact is even more amazing! How can prisoners have Sky in prison? Do Sky have a special team who go out and fit dishes outside the cell window?

Crowqueen

If it keeps them out of mischief and isn't paid for out of public funds then I'm all for it tbh. Less likely to riot if they are trying to get that one last level in Super Mario than if their contraband booze gets discovered.

As for Sky, the way it sometimes works is an account for the institution and regulated access for inmates.

Happy_bunny

Just a thought but were the problems at Ford open prison caused by a cancelled PS2 order, Fuelled (allegedly) by contraband cider? :rotfl:

floart

i have sent ebay items to a prison before with no trouble, ok the person is there for a reason but what business is it of ours to judge wether they have a right to buy something or not?

poppy_f1

i often get stuff sent to my work, could this be the case

pinkshoes

Crowqueen wrote: »

If it keeps them out of mischief and isn't paid for out of public funds then I'm all for it tbh. Less likely to riot if they are trying to get that one last level in Super Mario than if their contraband booze gets discovered.

As for Sky, the way it sometimes works is an account for the institution and regulated access for inmates.

True, but given almost 50% of released prisoners go on to re-offend, our prison system is obviously not working, so personally I'd rather see them spending all day carrying out hard labour rather than having their own choice of entertainment!!