Dot-con email addresses "truly appalling"

The silicon.com virtual post-bag was brimming with Reader Comments this week following a report on plans to give prisoners email access to keep in touch with their families.

The notion of jail-email was heralded as "a ridiculous suggestion" and "truly appalling" by some, with readers claiming prisons are turning into "holiday camps".

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Many readers were concerned about the cost of letting offenders log on. Chris Goodman from Fareham noted: "Who pays for this privilege to be given to those who have offended against society? Simple - those who have been the victims."

Some suggested the money being spent to provide email access to prisoners should be put towards building more jails but Matt, a web developer from Staffordshire, came up with a more extreme solution. He wrote: "Bring back hanging! That'd sort out the overcrowding problem!"

Going back to the email debate, some silicon.com readers saw the positives. Mike Poole, a developer from Edinburgh, said: "About time too. Surely emails are easier to monitor than snail mail which I imagine they can send and receive anyway."

Rod, from London, pointed out email is "a privilege that can easily be withdrawn" and if a prisoner can be kept in touch with family members it might stop them reoffending.

But as Paul Shrimpton pointed out: "Would you trust anyone with a '.con' email address?"