Gaming for the incarcerated

Check out the Game Politics entry on the concept of video game systems being used to entertain prisoners. As the piece points out, there's two schools of thought -- those who don't think inmates deserve the chance to play on the PS2, and those who think it helps maintain/improve jail safety by giving those on lockdown something to do other than lift and walk around in the yard.

The St. Petersburg Times in Florida ran a story Sunday about a privately run jail that allows its inmates a few hours of PS2 time.

According to the story, the games they play are rated no worse than T for Teen, and the equipment wasn't bought with tax dollars. The story also notes a similar games-in-prison movement in Missouri, which was banned by that state's governor last year.