I’m not sure if I should be outraged, but I’m definitely confused about the time being handed out.
Last year, a group of South Carolina prison inmates somehow recorded the first ever rap video while being incarcerated.
The investigation into the rap video and the punishment were revealed in public records obtained by Dave Maass, an investigative researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Last year, the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) launched an investigation after the group of inmates released a rap video that made its way to WorldStarHipHop:
Records show five of the inmates received 180 days in “disciplinary detention,” while two others received punishments of 270 and 360 days, for “creating or assisting with a social media site.”
But additional punishments for “security threat group” (gang-related) materials and possessing a contraband cell phone added up to a combined 7,150 days, or 19.75 years, in solitary confinement for the inmates.
The inmates also lost years’ worth of canteen, phone, and visitation privileges, as well as good time accrued.
The disciplinary records note that “video from www.worldstarhiphop.com was used as evidence.”
“When the video went viral the first time, viewers caught a fleeting glimpse of the creative energy that exists behind bars,” Maass told BuzzFeed News. “Now that we know how dearly each inmate paid for their participation, the video takes on all new significance. People in this country are still sacrificing their freedom and well-being for expression.”
According to BuzzFeed, the inmates involved in the making of the video were serving time for various charges including armed robbery, voluntary manslaughter, and burglary.
The question now is — regardless of how dumb it was to make the video — were they punished to harshly?
https://youtu.be/8wbqiSVLUq8