WCBSTV -- May 5 -- It's certainly not unusual for people to look for romance online. But should prisoners have the right to do just that? Thousands of them, many who will spend the rest of their life in prison, have personal ads looking for love. And some family members of victims say that is just not right. Prisoners, themselves, are not allowed access to the Web, so they pay an Internet company to post the ad for them. Women either write directly to the inmate in prison or the company forwards the message. Some sites do include the crime the inmate committed, but not "Hot Prison Pals", a dating site for prisoners run by Sam Wagner. He said anyone who may be thinking of writing inmates should do their own homework.
The full article was originally published at WBSTV, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: This seems like a useful public service. Everyone needs love. Even virtual love. Perhaps its the lack of love that drove the inmates to their crimes. Perhaps its the lack of a strong family unit during childhood. Ultimately, dating sites should strive to help people form stronger, more loving relationships and family units. This in turn should help to lower crime rates. Your comments please?
