Why can't prisions be self sustaining?

[Jhill]

I hear a lot about overcrowding in prisons and lack of funding to keep prisoners the correct length. Why can't prisons be set up like factories and offer voluntary work and produce somthing? Work 8-12 hrs a day and get perks like early release or more visits etc...

I know their are already programs like this but it seems if it was set up right the prison could actually make money since they don't have to pay the workers. Even if it was totally voluntary I would rather make something or work on something rather than sit in my cell for 16 hrs a day.

 

[tasmanian]

They already make them do all they can. The prisoners cant work with anything more then pressing a button. Think what would happen if every prisoner had a set of screwdrivers, hammers etc.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Because a large number of the people in prisons either won't work or can't be trusted with the tools. There's a large gang mentality in prison that is bad enough that a guy sliced up someone's face with a razor on his way to being released. Needless to say, he didn't make it out. When freedom vs. scoring points with your gang ends up going for the points, well... euthanasia seems to be an interesting thing to ponder.

 

[Xavier434]

Security reasons and finding enough work for them to do. Why would a company go out of its way to spend more money on a method to produce their product which allows prisoners to participate while maintaining a secure environment? It's just not going to happen. Most of the methods which would satisfy these conditions are so close to automation already that it makes more sense just to push the technology up a tiny bit further to make it fully automated.

 

[Q]

OP.... you dumb.

 

[Vette73]

Most have laws that keep prisons from producing products for the general public. 2 reasons why is that one it keeps them from affecting other business's and 2nd keeps prisons from "renting" out people.

 

[imported_Section8]

Every Federal prison has an industrial operation that uses inmate labor to produce items for sale to government agencies. It is a privilege to work there and serves as an incentive for other inmates to behave.

 

[se7en]

Or we could just execute anyone with a prison term longer than 10 years. My way saves more money and fixes the overcrowding problem all at the same time. We only need one form of execution too just shoot them bullets are cheap drugs are expensive.

Make them work? Nah.

 

[timswim78]

The level of ignorance in this thread is amazing. Lots of prisons have machine shops, butcher shops (the knives are chained to tables), furniture manufacturing, etc.

 

[bonkers325]

its not a problem with the prisons, its a problem with the laws that SEND people to prison. of course you're going to have overcrowding when you're sentencing people to 20 years of prison for stealing cars and other 3-strike rules.

 

[JTsyo]

Would it be considered cruel to make them farm their own food and have them starve if they don't do well?

 

[imported_Section8]

Originally posted by: se7en
Or we could just execute anyone with a prison term longer than 10 years. My way saves more money and fixes the overcrowding problem all at the same time. We only need one form of execution too just shoot them bullets are cheap drugs are expensive.

Make them work? Nah.

Does this also go for your relatives? If your son or daughter made a mistake and was sentenced to 12 years, he or she would get the death penelty.

 

[preslove]

Originally posted by: Section8
Every Federal prison has an industrial operation that uses inmate labor to produce items for sale to government agencies. It is a privilege to work there and serves as an incentive for other inmates to behave.

Federal prisons also have a lot more white collar inmates and higher up criminals, with much fewer violent street criminals. You might get some higher up gang officers, but the rank and file gang criminals go to state and county institutions.

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Because a large number of the people in prisons either won't work or can't be trusted with the tools. There's a large gang mentality in prison that is bad enough that a guy sliced up someone's face with a razor on his way to being released. Needless to say, he didn't make it out. When freedom vs. scoring points with your gang ends up going for the points, well... euthanasia seems to be an interesting thing to ponder.

Also, in the more violent prisons you have frequent lockdowns that prevent all inmates from moving around the facility. This means that productivity is often reduced to zero. You can't have a profitable factory in that type of situation. Privatized prisons could only survive without violence & at the state level that would require a significant shift in law enforcement.

 

[0roo0roo]

chain gangs.

may not be practical near urban areas.
too much security/man power needed. the work they do wouldn't offset the cost
easier to keep them in a cage.

we are at 2 million prisoners.
its hard to do much with so many.

 

[Rudee]

I always said we should make better use of the prisoners on death row and use them for really authentic movie stunts.

 

[sponge008]

Originally posted by: Rudee
I always said we should make better use of the prisoners on death row and use them for really authentic movie stunts.

How about real gladiator battles? 16 go in, the winner goes free.

 

[meltdown75]

"prisons"

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: sponge008

Originally posted by: Rudee
I always said we should make better use of the prisoners on death row and use them for really authentic movie stunts.

How about real gladiator battles? 16 go in, the winner goes free.

Did you ever watch the first episode of Metalocalypse Season 2? They come up with a very creative way of dealing with this matter

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Jhill
I hear a lot about overcrowding in prisons and lack of funding to keep prisoners the correct length. Why can't prisons be set up like factories and offer voluntary work and produce somthing? Work 8-12 hrs a day and get perks like early release or more visits etc...

I know their are already programs like this but it seems if it was set up right the prison could actually make money since they don't have to pay the workers. Even if it was totally voluntary I would rather make something or work on something rather than sit in my cell for 16 hrs a day.

because slavery hasn't been economically feasible for a long time.


it costs more to keep someone imprisoned, fed, clothed and somewhat in the frame of mind to work than they can produce.

 

[se7en]

Originally posted by: Section8

Originally posted by: se7en
Or we could just execute anyone with a prison term longer than 10 years. My way saves more money and fixes the overcrowding problem all at the same time. We only need one form of execution too just shoot them bullets are cheap drugs are expensive.

Make them work? Nah.

Does this also go for your relatives? If your son or daughter made a mistake and was sentenced to 12 years, he or she would get the death penelty.

Yes it would apply to them as well. Harsh I know but we cant send to Australia so thats about the next best thing.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: timswim78
The level of ignorance in this thread is amazing. Lots of prisons have machine shops, butcher shops (the knives are chained to tables), furniture manufacturing, etc.

Many do, yes. But I'm explaining why the system as a whole can't be.

 

[WolverineGator]

Make them ride stationary bikes to produce electricity (the Matrix)!!!

Since they can't use tools, make them all programmers: C, C++, Java, SQL, PL/SQL, on (databases) Oracle 9i, SQL Server 7/2000, using web technologies (HTML, Java Script, VB Script, ASP, .NET)! Yay!

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

At the state prison here they have a field and chain inmates to each other and they hoe rows for seed all day.

Then at the end of the day they get to watch as a tractor drives over and smooths it out and then get to start over the next day.

 

[se7en]

Originally posted by: sponge008

How about real gladiator battles? 16 go in, the winner goes free.

Holy crap ever better idea than mine only dont let them go. Winner gets to live out their term!!

 

[Stifko]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
well... euthanasia seems to be an interesting thing to ponder.

Execution is more expensive than keeping them in jail for life, b/c of all the legal fees with the appeal processes.