Facebook deleting California prisoners' accounts

Facebook is working together with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to shut down the prisoners’ active Facebook accounts that have been updated since the prisoners’ incarceration.

Prisoners login their account via cell phones
Thousands of inmates in California’s state prisons are actively accessing their profiles from their cells.

Though most prisoners don't have internet access, they often log in with contraband mobile phones and are doing social networking from behind bars, among other things.

Reportedly, prisoners are setting up Facebook accounts somehow or having accounts set up on their behalf by a family member outside.

The inmates are using the social networking site to update their statuses, post pictures and even organize parties via smartphones smuggled into jail.

According to CDCR, some inmates write on their pages about 'Listenin 2 sum music tryin 2 unwind', 'Gettin ready 4 yard' and 'Woke up freakin sore,' some are even plotting crimes with each other using codes.

CDCR, FB working together to remove prisoners’ accounts
Now CDCR has joined hands with Facebook to remove accounts owned by inmates or those administered in their name.

The agency has started gathering Facebook account information of the prison inmates who have updated their pages.

Using that information, Facebook Security has started wiping out those pages for violating the company's user policies.

"Access to social media allows inmates to circumvent our monitoring process and continue to engage in criminal activity," stated CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate.

"This new cooperation between law enforcement and Facebook will help protect the community and potentially avoid future victims,” Cate added.

Andrew Noyes, Facebook spokesman, said that as part of the policy they disable accounts that “are violating relevant U.S. laws or regulations or inmate accounts” updated by someone on the outside.

“We will also take appropriate action against anyone who misuses Facebook to threaten or harass,” he assured.

How prisoners using FB to harass victims?
According to CDCR, some inmates write on their pages about 'Listenin 2 sum music tryin 2 unwind', 'Gettin ready 4 yard' and 'Woke up freakin sore,' some are even plotting crimes with each other using codes.

The agency said that prisoners have used their Facebook profiles either to deliver threats or to make sexual advances.
In one instance, one convicted child molester last year even contacted his victim who's now 17. He had sent several pieces of mail to her, containing accurate drawings, even though he had been behind bars for seven years, the CDCR said.

"Details of the victim, such as how she wore her hair and the brand of clothes she wore were accurate. An investigation revealed the inmate had used a cell phone to find and view the MySpace and Facebook web pages of the victim. With access to the pages, the offender was able to obtain current photos, which he used to draw his pictures," the agency said.

CDCR trying to stop smuggling of contraband cellphones
The Facebook partnership is part of the CDCR’s ongoing efforts to ensure public safety both inside and outside the state’s prisons, and to get a grip of the massive proliferation of cell phones in prison.

Reportedly, officers confiscated more than 7,284 contraband mobile phones in state prisons in the first six months of this year alone. In 2006, that number was only 261 for the entire year.

California prison guards are considered to be the most likely smugglers providing the prisoners with contraband cell phones, which often sell for $1,000 each in prison.

“This is like organised crime,” said Harriet Salarno with Crime Victims United. “They can get in touch with gangs, they can commit crimes from prison. We need to stop all this."