What To Do With The Prison Population

[MJS]

I came across this.

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas' troubled juvenile prison system plans to release more than 550 inmates who have completed their minimum sentences and haven't caused any trouble behind bars, officials announced Monday.
The inmates will be released in the coming week, as soon as agency officials are able to line up the services they will need in the community, including parole supervision and counseling, Texas Youth Commission spokesman Jim Hurley said.

 

[michaeledward]

I came across this.

From the same article

Jay Kimbrough, whom Gov. Rick Perry appointed to fix the troubled agency, on Friday decided to suspend an agency policy requiring inmates to reach a series of academic, behavioral and therapeutic benchmarks before they can be released. The suspension came amid questions over whether the program was effective.

This article is a bit unusual, in that it is dealing with mostly juvenile prisoners ~ ages 10 to 21. Of course, this represents a tiny portion of the United States Prison population.

But, it would seem to me, that the exact wrong thing to do, would be to release these convicts before they reach the benchmarks established by the system. I am making the assumption that these benchmarks were set up by people with proficient knowledge in adolescent development.

If those benchmarks are not arbitrary numbers, but instead social minimums, this is a certain way to prove recidivism. The convicts have not learned, or matured enough to be in society, according to the benchmarks, but the State is going to release them anyway, because, they are the best behaved among the badly behaving.

 

[Ray]

Actualy slavery is alive and well in the form of the prison system.

Real and actual slavery is alive and well in the form of actual slavery in other places...However, there are radomly infrequent accounts of real albeit illegal slavery within the US. The prison system is not slavery.

 

[Nomad]

Human batteries a la the Matrix!

 

[Touch Of Death]

Real and actual slavery is alive and well in the form of actual slavery in other places...However, there are radomly infrequent accounts of real albeit illegal slavery within the US. The prison system is not slavery.

Just like the mining corporations werent enslaving their employees before the Unions. Yes we pay them a wage but they have to buy prison products. These products are intentionaly over priced. They tell the prisoners were the proceeds go. They are given no choice in the matter. The only reason they are payed at all is increase the incentive to do labor. However, it is slavery in a nutshell.
Sean

 

[Ray]

Just like the miming corporations werent enslaving their employees before the Unions.

Free the mimes. I'll speak for them since they can't [or won't] speak for themselves.

Yes we pay them a wage but they have to buy prison products. These products are intentionaly over priced. They tell the prisoners were the proceeds go. They are given no choice in the matter. The only reason they are payed at all is increase the incentive to do labor. However, it is slavery in a nutshell.

Come on, you can't seriously compare slavery to the American prison scene.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Free the mimes. I'll speak for them since they can't [or won't] speak for themselves.

Come on, you can't seriously compare slavery to the American prison scene.

Watch me.:ultracool
Sean

 

[MJS]

Hmmm...what does slavery have to do with the thread topic??

 

[Lisa]

Hmmm...what does slavery have to do with the thread topic??

That is a good question. I think the topic was "What to do with the Prison Population" If you wanna discuss slavery and the likes there of, please feel free to start a new thread.

Thanks, gentlemen.

 

[Touch Of Death]

That is a good question. I think the topic was "What to do with the Prison Population" If you wanna discuss slavery and the likes there of, please feel free to start a new thread.

Thanks, gentlemen.

It is if you consider, "What to do with the current prison population?"
Sean

 

[MJS]

It is if you consider, "What to do with the current prison population?"
Sean

Do you enjoy hijacking threads Sean?? Seriously, if you want to talk about slavery, start another thread. Here is the OP once again, in case you missed it. Slavery has nothing to do with what I'm looking to discuss.

This is sort of a spin-off of a thread that TOD started regarding cable TV in prison cells. Now, reading thru that thread, there were mixed views. So, my question is: What should we have the inmates do? I mean, sitting around watching tv, playing a board game or lifting weights, IMO, is not too productive. Instead, I think having them work would be much more productive. Something along the lines of a chain gang IMO is much more beneficial. Personally, I see nothing wrong with them going out in small groups, along the highway, picking up trash. They're giving something back to the community, by helping to keep it clean and they're also getting out of the prison for a few hours.

Of course, I'm sure there are other assorted 'jobs' that they could do, so the above was only a start.

Any other thoughts?

 

[Touch Of Death]

Do you enjoy hijacking threads Sean?? Seriously, if you want to talk about slavery, start another thread. Here is the OP once again, in case you missed it. Slavery has nothing to do with what I'm looking to discuss.

Sorry, I won't post on this one again.

 

[Grenadier]

ATTENTION ALL USERS:
Please, return to the original topic.

-Ronald Shin
-MT Moderator-

 

[Cryozombie]

I think we should use the prison population as slaves.

Hey look, we are talking about slavery, and back on topic!


​

 

[MJS]

I think we should use the prison population as slaves.​

Hey look, we are talking about slavery, and back on topic!​

​

IMO, it'd be more productive to help them find a job, trade, etc., and attempt to better themselves. Problem is, is that they're most likely going to be limited as to what they can do for work, due to the fact that many places frown upon a criminal record.

Mike

 

[michaeledward]

This week, National Public Radio is running a five-part story entitled 'The Forgotten War'. This article discusses the 'War on Drugs'. Currently, the United States is spending about forty billion dollars a year on this 'war'.

Part four of the series - focuses on crime and punishment.

There are approximately 500,000 prisoners in the United States on drug offenses. One-Half a Million of our fellow citizens in jail based on drug offenses. That is more than many other countries total prison populations.

While certainly not all of these convicts are not 'non-violent offenders', it would be interesting to see just how many are non-violent, non-dealing offenders. (according to the link below - that number is more than 70%)

I return to the premise that what we should do with these convicts is release them. Restore them to their families. What is the cost on a young child to have a parent in prison?

http://www.sentencingproject.org/Admin/Documents/publications/inc_federalprisonpop.pdf

Imagine, just by changing that one policy - (release non-violent drug offenders) we could reduce the prison population by 350,000.

What savings would that be to our tax dollars?
What impact would that have on families?

 

[Cryozombie]

Imagine, just by changing that one policy - (release non-violent drug offenders) we could reduce the prison population by 350,000.

What savings would that be to our tax dollars?
What impact would that have on families?

A question I posed earlier, at least as far as the Tax dollars go... but you also raise a good point about impact on families...

IMO A non violent offender who happens to like recreational pot on the weekends or what have you, would probably be a better role model at home, than a the stuff a kid left to his own devices cuz Daddy is in jail and mommy is working 3 jobs will find himself up to... and I bet the kid with dad at home would turn out better...

 

[Ray]

IMO A non violent offender who happens to like recreational pot on the weekends or what have you, would probably be a better role model at home, than a the stuff a kid left to his own devices cuz Daddy is in jail and mommy is working 3 jobs will find himself up to... and I bet the kid with dad at home would turn out better...

All things being equal, I've never found my bros who were jailed several times (more for the "what have you") to be better role models than my mother who worked to keep us kids fed. A strong, honest, involved and law-abiding father would have been a big plus in our lives. My pop, the non-violent offender probably had the worst impact on our lives.

 

[Cryozombie]

All things being equal, I've never found my bros who were jailed several times (more for the "what have you") to be better role models than my mother who worked to keep us kids fed. A strong, honest, involved and law-abiding father would have been a big plus in our lives. My pop, the non-violent offender probably had the worst impact on our lives.

I'm not talking about being a better role model than a working mom... I'm talking about being a better role model than Street Gangs, or TV, or Playstation, whatever the kid does when no one is around to give him guidance, know what I am sayin?

 

[Ray]

I'm not talking about being a better role model than a working mom... I'm talking about being a better role model than Street Gangs, or TV, or Playstation, whatever the kid does when no one is around to give him guidance, know what I am sayin?

I guess I misunderstood...I thought you said that a dope smoking dad was a good role model. Obviously the not the kind of guy to produce law abiding citizens, especially since he isn't one himself.