hey great artical. i can relate to this so much becuase when i was in prison it was the music that kept me alive i remember ordering cassete tapes threw a older company called music by mail. but when i went in to federal prison it all changed in the fedz inmates are only allowed am.fm head sets.so we were literaly deprived of good music. we had to beat on the table or have some one beatbox on the yard .this was our way of getting a dose of good music.i wrote about 80% of my music in prison. if i coulnt do that then i dont think i could have survived it. MUSIC is our savior

I reached out to thank Supremo for his comment and asked him a couple more questions. Adding it here as I think it's relevant:

Supremo said, "There was no reception on the am/fm radios because most prisons are in the middle of nowhere. It was hell."

Is the fact that the federal prisons allow no real music and tv a deterrent for people committing crimes?

Supremo: "I don't think people think about what they will be able to have and not have in prison when they're out there commiting crimes, so I don't think it's a deterrent. It was for me though."

Nice with the Tortoise. Interesting. I would think feds would want a pacified population of prisoners. It seems smarter to let them have music as much as I don't think a murderer should have the right. Hmm.

I agree with both sides. I have friends who have been locked up and I would want them to have music. I empathize with the prison's standpoint. But if my wife or family were harmed or worse, I don't know if I would be able to say I want the person who took them away to have any privileges behind bars. I would want them to rot in a brick room with no windows for eternity.

Good column, Trent.

Seems like "Our" gubmint's read not only 'Mein Kampf',but 'Ninety Eighty-Four' and 'Brave New World'!(Cybernetics:It is the Science of CONtrol . . . .) o.O

Remember that prisoners are human beings! They made mistakes and most regret them and have to deal with the guilt everyday.They need rehabilitation because they will get out and they will live in your neighborhood! I would like these people to have an appreciation of art and healthy pastimes like enjoying music.
Most people in federal prison are there for drugs and immigration charges and get 5-25 yrs for non-violent offenses. To deprive them of learning, art, music, and other humanities is just wrong. Wait until it is your brother who has a drug problem and you still love him very much.

Dec. 31, 2011, there were 197,050 sentenced prisoners under federal jurisdiction. Of these, 94,600 were serving time for drug offenses, 14,900 for violent offenses, 10,700 for property offenses, and 69,000 for "public order" offenses (of which 22,100 were sentenced for immigration offenses, 29,800 for weapons offenses, and 17.100