Anyone with the street authority to get this done will be able to do it with or without a phone.

The point is SOMEONE needs a phone to do this. In prison, it's usually not these street bosses who are ensuring these communications are getting out themselves, since they can't because they live under far too much scrutiny for that. it's low threat types like this guy who no one is watching or suspecting who are getting these hits and escape plots out to the streets.

The Parole board and the prison system are no doubt aware of this and that's the reasoning behind this strong response from them.

In GA it's a 5 year felony whether you're an officer or an inmate if you get caught with a cell phone inside a GA prison.

Some people would use a cell phone to murder my wife and children, therefore let's impose draconian penalties on those who use cell phones to call their families and tell them they're coming home.

Do you believe we should sell guns to those inmates who desire to have them?

No. But I believe if a man, mere days away from being released, was found with a gun in his cell but it was convincingly shown that the only reason he had the gun was to call his family and give them the good news then it would be punitive to give him 5 more years.

I haven't looked at article in a few days but I don't recall anyone even alleging that this particular prisoner was using the cell phone for any nefarious or harmful purpose.

Just looked at at it again, and I suppose its possible that prison would allege he was using the phone to call in a hit. However, given our current evidence (which is admittedly quite limited) that's a pretty tenuous objection. Why would this prisoner use a phone to call in a hit rather than just wait until he got out and do it himself from the outside?

Prisoners are known for impulse control imo.

In this specific instance, going out on a limb I learned never to go on during my tenure doing intel for the DOC, I will assume the inmate is telling the truth. Even if he is, he still knew full well the consequences of using the cell phone. Inmates learn the consequences of cell phone possession/use in their first 15 minutes of arrival, and it was reinforced REPEATEDLY during his time.

He made a decision, knowing full well the consequences if he was caught. This inmate wasn't blindsided, he knew this could happen to him.

If he was so concerned about getting out, he should've been walking the line during his last two weeks or whatever it was, not running around with cell phones.

As an aside, my question to this inmate is why in the hell didn't he use a DOC phone to call his family, like every other convict does?

As I indicated previously, I admit we don't have full facts here. I'm assuming (as it seems we all have been) in arguendo that the prisoner was only using the phone for the benign purpose of calling his family.

I'll also freely concede that the prisoner is dumb, really really dumb, for real, for doing this. Like you said, he should have just waited, used an authorized phone, whatever.

But that doesn't excuse the exacting of a ridiculous punishment like this. It's like the mugger who tells you to give you his wallet. Yea, you're probably dumb if you don't give him your wallet, but that doesn't justify him shooting you in the kneecaps to get it.

Obviously that prisoner is special and the rules don't apply to him.

Draconian state is draconian.

Wat?

Prisoners = 15yo girls? I'm missing something.

I placed the word "right" in quotation marks as I am referencing law, not natural rights.

In most states, having sexual relations with an inmate is rape, particularly if you're a staff member. Regardless of whether the inmate consented or not. Sex between inmates is also against prison rules. This is because of the large amounts of violence sex, or more specifically, couples, can create in a prison environment.

wow@ all the comments defending the speeding officer