Facebook works to remove California inmates' profiles

After learning of incidents of threats or sexual advances to victims sent even from behind bars, social networking giant Facebook is now working with law enforcers to weed out accounts managed by or on behalf of inmates, initially in California. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said August 8 it has begun reporting Facebook accounts set up and monitored by prison inmates to the Facebook Security Department. “Access to social media allows inmates to circumvent our monitoring process and continue to engage in criminal activity. This new cooperation between law enforcement and Facebook will help protect the community and potentially avoid future victims," CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate said in a statement. Under the working arrangement, Facebook accounts set up and/or monitored on behalf of an inmate will be removed, as it is a violation of Facebook’s user policies. The CDCR said the Federal Bureau of Prisons National Gang Intelligence Center has reported increasing instances of inmates with active Facebook accounts. It said such active accounts are either maintained illegally by inmates or are administered by an outside person on behalf of the inmate. CDCR said it has “seen numerous instances in which inmates, using their Facebook accounts, have delivered threats to victims or have made unwanted sexual advances." Last year, CDCR received a call from a mother of a victim of a child molester. “The family had just returned from vacation to find several pieces of mail from the offender who was in state prison. The mail contained accurate drawings of the woman’s 17-year old daughter, even though it had been at least seven years since the offender had been convicted and sent to prison," it noted. It added 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 CDCR said. Disabling accounts The CDCR also noted inmates are allowed to have Facebook profiles created prior to incarceration. But if any evidence shows the account has been used while in the facility, Facebook Security will disable the account. Cell phone use Over the past few years CDCR noted a massive influx in the number of cell phones being used by prisoners. In 2006, correctional officers confiscated 261 devices, while in the first six months of this year, more than 7,284 were confiscated. Reporting inmate use To report a Facebook account suspected of being administered by an inmate, or an outside party on behalf of the inmate, one can contact CDCR’s Office of Victim and Survivor Rights & Services, toll free at 1-877-256-OVSS (6877) or e-mail victimservices@cdcr.ca.gov. Law enforcement representatives and members of the public can notify Facebook security of accounts administered by registered sex offenders. People can click here to report a registered sex offender’s Facebook account. — TJD, GMA News