TV in Prisons

The petition is entitled ban television in prisons and the explanatory notes say

"Ban television in prisons, why are we making it so easy for criminals. Make the punishment a deterent to reoffending."

I wonder if the petitioner has ever spoken to a prisoner or ex-prisoner, or even read anything written by them, about the experience. Not that I've done the former, or all that much of the latter, but I don't get the impression that, even with TVs, prison is really the summer-camp that petitioners like this appear to think.

Then I wonder what people think prisoners would do instead of watching TV ... I don't know how true it is that some people go into prison an inept criminal and come out with all sorts of knowledge about how to practise their chosen vocation. On balance, though, it seems a little bit plausible and I can't see TV being worse ...

I suppose some people would respond that in that case solitary confinement is a better idea. Whereupon I imagine prisoners sitting there with nothing but their minds to occupy them, resenting the hell out of the state and of society for putting them there ... which doesn't, to my mind, make me think they'd be less likely to re-offend.

Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps I'm hopelessly naive. But ... I can't see how this would improve anything. And I don't believe the petitioner knows any more about the subject than I do.