MySpace is involved in controversy once again. This time it has to do with 30 inmates on death row in Texas. They have had MySpace pages created for them by friends and family.

The inmates do not have Internet access so they communicate with friends and family through letters, which are then posted on their MySpace page. Their family or friends then return any correspondence sent to their pages to the inmates.

Andy Kahan director of the crime victims office in Houston strongly disagrees with this practice. In an e-mail to MySpace Kahan wrote, “”Is it within your policy to allow the glorification of killers by giving them a platform to influence young minds?” Kahan wrote. “Are there specific guidelines within MySpace that would prohibit giving convicted felons a platform for all the world to see?”

I understand his concern but isn’t this more of a state or federal issue than a MySpace issue? Last time I checked MySpace was not one of the 3 branches of government.

Michelle Lyons, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said,” We cannot police what a person who is not in our custody puts on a Web site on behalf of an inmate”

By calling attention to the issue maybe Mr.Kahan is attempting to lobby support for legislation to prevent prisoner profiles being posted on MySpace. That would be a tricky constitutional issue.

I don’t see MySpace changing their policy. With 125,632,282 million users they would never be able to police that amount of profiles.

Posted by Mike Sachoff

Staff Writer