Why don't we put the prison population to work?

[fuzzybabybunny]

I've always wondered this. People talking about how the prisons are too expensive to run, how law abiding citizens are the ones to feed, clothe, shelter, and guard those who have wronged us.

There's gotta be something that all that excess labor in the form of the prison population can do, to at least make the prisons break even, no?

 

[Throckmorton]

Just what we need, the prison population competing with us for jobs. Because we have such a labor shortage?

 

[Patranus]

The "progressives" think it is a violation of their rights.

Then people will argue that people in prison would then take jobs away from hard working Americans. In that case, they could just break rocks all day for all I care.

Anyways, the prison population should be forced to do something to pay for their incarceration. They are the one who broke the social contract, not the taxpayer.

The same needs to be applied to welfare. If you want to be on the government dole then you should be contributing to society, even if that means you are picking up trash on the freeway or picking fruit in a field.

 

[I Saw OJ]

I would be fine to have them go to a quarry and break rocks all day for no other purpose then to just break rocks.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Just what we need, the prison population competing with us for jobs. Because we have such a labor shortage?

It's either that or just have the prisons be a money pit and a cost. I'd rather have them be some srt of income generating thing than just a place to watch my tax dollars go bye-bye forever. We can have them do jobs that would normally have been outsourced, or roboticized/automated.

 

[matt0611]

The "progressives" think it is a violation of their rights.

Then people will argue that people in prison would then take jobs away from hard working Americans. In that case, they could just break rocks all day for all I care.

Anyways, the prison population should be forced to do something to pay for their incarceration. They are the one who broke the social contract, not the taxpayer.

The same needs to be applied to welfare. If you want to be on the government dole then you should be contributing to society, even if that means you are picking up trash on the freeway or picking fruit in a field.

Yeah, people in prison really should be doing something. Even if its voluntary, and maybe it can even reduce their sentence. It makes sense, save the taxpayer money, the prisoner gets out of his cell, sees some sunshine, fresh air, gets some exercise, repays his debt to society and gets out quicker. Everybody wins.

Oh and yes, we need to get non-violent victimless offenders out of the prison system IMMEDIATELY.

 

[Jaskalas]

Just what we need, the prison population competing with us for jobs. Because we have such a labor shortage?

Those would be government jobs, projects that wouldn't exist without slave labor.

Why don't we put the prison population to work?

How about we REDUCE the prison population?

It'd work quite easily. First you reduce sentence time, but anyone who belongs there for over 10-20 years is simply executed within 5 years. You keep most non violent offenders out of prison in the first place.

You make it a public GOAL to keep people out of prison instead of sending them there.

 

[WelshBloke]

1. Pointless jobs wouldnt bring enough money to cover the cost of getting a demotivated workforce to do anything
2. Meaningful jobs would put other people out of work and it could be argued that the government was encouraging unfair competition by subsidising the workforce.
3. There would be a level of liability towards the purchaser of the goods/services.
4. There would be a level of liability towards the worker.

Theres probably loads more as well.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Don't we already have criminals working? They're called UNION THUGS.

 

[ichy]

Oh and yes, we need to get non-violent victimless offenders out of the prison system IMMEDIATELY.

Non-violent != victimless. Just wait until a non-violent criminal steals something from you and tell us now victimless that feels.

 

[piasabird]

Send them to a mine with no equipment. Just a few hammers and shovels. In Roman times, convicted murderers were often sent to "The Mines". I could see some convicts mowing along highways with some sickels, and sweeping the streets. In Korea they use to take the indigents and give them a push cart and a broom and told them to sweep along roads and clean up trash. In return they got an apartment and a bag of rice once in a while.

The object is to keep people busy. Leaving your prison cell is a privlige in itself. In Kansas, they use to let the inmates in Leavenworth work bagging groceries at the Base Commissary (Grocery Store). Of course it was illegal to give them tips. There is plenty of busywork to be done like cleaning up deserted buildings or lots or dog poo in the park.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Non-violent != victimless. Just wait until a non-violent criminal steals something from you and tell us now victimless that feels.

Exactly.. I guess we should let Bernie Madoff out of prison as well then. What did he do that was violent?

 

[fskimospy]

I love watching the bizarre punishment fantasies of people play out here. Some disturbing psyches at work on this here website!

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

1. Pointless jobs wouldnt bring enough money to cover the cost of getting a demotivated workforce to do anything
2. Meaningful jobs would put other people out of work and it could be argued that the government was encouraging unfair competition by subsidising the workforce.
3. There would be a level of liability towards the purchaser of the goods/services.
4. There would be a level of liability towards the worker.

Theres probably loads more as well.

I'm sure there can be solutions to these problems if we think creatively. Even if it means for some things they operate in a vacuum. Farm their own food, do stuff like that.

Basically don't close off that avenue of thought simply because there are some roadblocks in the way.

 

[Rastus]

Not to mention, every work related injury or condition would put the prisoner on the government dole for the rest of his/her life when the get out. Those people will not hesitate to sue the government for any future health issues they get.

 

[Drako]

I love watching the bizarre punishment fantasies of people play out here. Some disturbing psyches at work on this here website!

Please point to these "bizarre punishment fantasies". There must be some other thread I've missed?

 

[WelshBloke]

I'm sure there can be solutions to these problems if we think creatively. Even if it means for some things they operate in a vacuum. Farm their own food, do stuff like that.

Basically don't close off that avenue of thought simply because there are some roadblocks in the way.

A lot of prisons over here have prison gardens that grow food for the prison. These are voluntary however.

How are you going to force them to actually work if they dont want to?

 

[JS80]

Prison Guard Union would never allow it. And if they did, they'd take all the money.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Did some digging and it looks like the total cost per year on average for a single inmate is $45K. That's $45K per person we throw away every year on someone who just sits there, creating no other value. We should work on at least closing that gap.

 

[piasabird]

That would put Mexicans out of a job!

 

[JS80]

Did some digging and it looks like the total cost per year on average for a single inmate is $45K. That's $45K per person we throw away every year on someone who just sits there, creating no other value. We should work on at least closing that gap.

lol

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

A lot of prisons over here have prison gardens that grow food for the prison. These are voluntary however.

How are you going to force them to actually work if they dont want to?

Huh? We're forcing them to live in a prison, to live with strip searches, to fall on their stomachs when an alarm is sounded, to live in solitary confinement... etc. It's a prison. They've lost their freedom already. And I hardly call working at a job cruel and unusual punishment.

 

[fskimospy]

Please point to these "bizarre punishment fantasies". There must be some other thread I've missed?

Sure, wanting prisoners to break rocks just for the sake of breaking rocks, executing everyone in prison for more than 5 years, blah blah. This is hardly the first thread that's exposed that sort of craziness on here.

 

[WelshBloke]

Huh? We're forcing them to live in a prison, to live with strip searches, to fall on their stomachs when an alarm is sounded, to live in solitary confinement... etc. It's a prison. They've lost their freedom already. And I hardly call working at a job cruel and unusual punishment.

I never called it cruel or unusual punishment.

You can make them turn up to a work place, you can make them behave but youre never going to be able to make them do a decent days work.

 

[Drako]

Sure, wanting prisoners to break rocks just for the sake of breaking rocks, executing everyone in prison for more than 5 years, blah blah. This is hardly the first thread that's exposed that sort of craziness on here.

Surprisingly enough, you are the only one here suggesting "breaking rocks" and "executing everyone in prison for more than 5 years". So it would seem that these "bizarre punishments fantasies" are only in your head. Please point me to these other threads with this "sort of craziness".