Prisoners Robs Poems
Updated : Aug 11, 2009
A prisoners' newspaper says it may have to axe its poetry page if inmates don't stop plagiarising poems in a bid to win a £25 prize.
Inside Time has introduced strict checks on its poetry page after some contributors copied out well-known poems and submitted them under their own names.
In one case an inmate stole work by Robert Frost, the American poet, and another lifted song lyrics from James Brown, reports the Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper, which is published by a charity and distributed to jails across Britain, has warned its readers that each entry will now be vetted in a bid to flush out the cheats.
"We now check every poem selected before going to print," the newspaper's editors said in a warning printed in this month's edition.
"By cheating you are spoiling it for those that submit genuine pieces of poetry. Not only that, you are laying yourselves and Inside Time open to possible law suits.
"This would ultimately finish the poetry pages, one of the most popular sections of the paper."
It disclosed that a poem sent in by an inmate at Foston Hall women's prison in Derbyshire, had been found to be "an exact copy of a poem we found on a number of websites" and which also used lyrics from the song King Heroin by James Brown.
Another inmate had contributed a poem which was found to be a well-known anonymous verse entitled Take Me In Your Arms, which is also about heroin addiction.
Lucy Forde, who compiles the page, said: "When people are making an effort it isn't fair that others try to win £25 by winging one past us. I hope they adhere to what we have now said. It will save me an awful lot of Googling."
VeryHappyPig is surprised Prisoners are so dishonest but at least they are only stealing poems!
