You want to play a Playstation, go to jail. New York City spent $59,000 on consoles and games for inmates

If you don't have money for games, a console, or a computer, one option is to end up in prison in New York - there is everything you need. As reported by The New York Post, the city's Department of Correction spent $59,260 of taxpayer money on new Playstation 4 and 5 games for inmates.

"There are homeless people who have nothing, but if you end up in prison, you will have everything - we spent $59,000 on video games!", said one officer with 15 years of experience.

A huge sum, which, according to city records, was used to purchase 1247 games, including dozens of copies of violent combat games such as Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6, as well as titles like Madden NFL and NBA 2K24.

Throughout the week, groups of inmates take turns gathering in recreation rooms to play games. According to an officer, access to consoles keeps inmates from fighting and breaking the rules. The method is particularly effective with the youngest offenders.

"Behave well this week, and we'll give you access to Playstation or Xbox," they say in prison.

But the agency is criticized for lavishly spending taxpayers' money on the welfare of criminals. Some call it an incentive to end up back in prison for committing crimes.

"We are teaching them to feel like more privileged criminals," criticized Celestino Monclova, a former officer at Rikers correctional facility.

He noted that inmates' access to video games and other special privileges leads to a surge in crime throughout the city.

"People who are released... they exhibit the same [troubled] behavior they thrived on in prison," he said.

Benny Boshio, chairman of the Charity Workers Association of Correctional Facilities, accused the agency of spending money on games for fraudsters instead of basic needs, such as adequate air conditioning for inmates and prison staff during the recent heatwave.

"Of course, if they have enough money for video games, there should be enough to ensure that our staff remain healthy and comfortable during extreme weather conditions," the union chairman fumed.

In 2018, the city's then-commissioner, Cynthia Brann, admitted that prison officials allowed access to consoles to make cruel criminals follow the rules. In May 2020, the agency spent $82,500 of taxpayers' money on Game Boys to entertain inmates instead of providing additional face masks and COVID-19 testing kits for "Rikers" staff.