Facebook Decides to Close Accounts Owned by U.S Prisoners

Los Angeles-Facebook has initiated complete shutdown of its accounts, belonging to prisoners of the California Prison. The decision was taken when Facebook officials stated that, a criminal involved in child molestation was spotted viewing his victim’s profile.

2 accounts have already been closed and Facebook is on an outlook for more accounts that have been logged into from prison, announced by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The authorities stated, although, criminals are not allowed internet usage they still manage to have access through illegal cell phone usage inside the prison, in spite of the police taking several measures to stop such use.

California corrections representatives, who initially signed a contract with Facebook, claim that, they’ve received numerous complaints, made by the victims, stating they have been contacted by criminals from the prison.

One of the victims was a child, who underwent physical abuse, and whose Facebook and MySpace were being viewed by the culprit and her drawings were mailed to her family, the officials exclaimed.

The abused child was a girl molested, at the budding age of 10 years, and was re-contacted by the culprit when she turned 17. He used the internet to learn about her ways of tying her hair and wearing clothes.

Spokeswoman, for the California Department of Corrections, Dana Toyama stated, “Really, they’re just limited by their imagination, you’ve got high ranking gang members, shot-calling, ordering crimes to be committed on their behalf.”

Facebook can be accessed in places that allow internet usage.

But since this practice is disallowed in California, Facebook affirms the accounts, belonging to prison inmates, will be closed.

Although, accounts, created before their owners were placed in jail and have not been used by them since then, will not be shut down.

Facebook forbids users, other than the actual account holders, to update their account.

Facebook spokesman, Andrew Noyes said, “We will disable accounts reported to us that are violating relevant U.S. laws or regulations, or inmate accounts that are updated by someone on the outside.”

The amount of illegal cell phones, in California, has increased from 261 in 2006 to 10,760 in 2010, which is an issue that needs to be taken into consideration. Toyama stated, “We’re on track to way surpass last year’s numbers.”

This year, mass murderer, Charles Manson, was twice spotted with a cell phone in California prison.

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