‘That’s enraging’: Jake and Spike debate WA giving inmates free tablets while cutting state park funding

A recent article analyzed Washington’s Department of Corrections providing tablets for its inmates, and compared the move with Washington’s funding cuts in its state parks.

KIRO host Spike O’Neill argued tablets can be a rehabilitation tool, helping inmates stay in touch with their families. KIRO host Jake Skorheim pushed back, questioning why the state would prioritize inmates’ access to state parks over that of the general public.

“I saw that, and I thought, man, that does grind my gears a little bit, like why would they spend money on this? That’s enraging,” Jake said on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “Here’s the outrageous part: Washington is very worried about making sure these inmates who are locked up for reasons, many of them did horrible, horrible things. They broke the law, and yet, completely law-abiding citizens are locked out of their parks because they’re prioritizing different things.”

“They’re a communication tool for the inmates,” Spike responded. “It’s been proven through numerous studies that inmates in the correctional facilities who interact with family have a better recovery rate and a lower rate of recidivism. The communication aspect of inmates and the benefits with their families and life outside is proven.”

“Getting to the bigger story here is that this company is one company that handles all the communication elements for inmates with the outside world,” Spike continued. “That’s a money-saving aspect for Washington, having one contractor instead of different email companies, different phone companies, all the things that are provided to inmates, because it’s not supposed to be isolation and inhumane treatments.”

‘We pay for these parks’: Jake says WA prioritizes inmates over parks

Jake argued that the same benefits and treatment prisoners are receiving for mental health should be offered to unincarcerated individuals primarily.

“The comparison that I’m making is that they’re prioritizing entertainment for criminals, but not entertainment for families,” Jake responded. “If it’s good that criminals get access to things because it makes their life better, I think the parks that we pay for also … It’s even worse, actually, when you think about it, because we pay for these parks. The problem that I have is that the state is prioritizing its fight for mental health and benefits; they have access to these things, but we don’t have access to the parks as we used to.”

Spike countered that the tablets cost Washington nothing, provided free by a single company, and said the rehabilitation benefits alone justify the program, regardless of the price tag.

“It relieves stress, lowers anxiety, and gives people a pleasant distraction, a harmless distraction, from time spent inside your own head when you’re in the joint,” Spike said. “There are benefits to wasting time on the internet and online watching entertainment.”

“There’s also a punitive part of being in prison, you’re not just hanging out,” Jake responded. “I mean, that sounds pretty nice. Just hanging out with your buddies watching TV all day. Don’t get me wrong, I love Seinfeld, I love Netflix, but I also didn’t club anybody over the head.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.