Do you agree that Americas prisons are too soft and comfortable?

Question

I can't believe the girl in the last statement is saying "he has to PAY for his own scripts" and "he has to BUY his own soap, etc." Oh, come on! You want us to provide everything? Prison shouldn't be a free ride. YOU SHOULD GET A BILL WHEN YOU GET OUT. And let the IRS keep your tax refunds until you've paid back the American citizens for feeding you.

Answer 1

I dunno. Why don't you go in one, drop the soap in the shower and report back to us.

Answer 2

Well yes and no. because that population are non citizens. Once in, there is no sympathy. If one were to spend their time in- I do believe that these people should at least be afforded to the best rehabilitation(not by nightstick),Medical help when a prisoner is found to have a learning disability or bipolar conditions and that can be helped through counseling and right meds. persons with such medical conditions should be segregated from the predators. Comfort? some at first then by showing merit more comforts can be added. but not to the point of Jacuzzis.
I do not believe one should have to fight for their life while in or join a worthless gang (the aforementioned should all be place in solitary confinement with no contact with the other population. In my opinion today's prisons are medieval and archaic the whole "CORRECTIONS" system needs to be corrected.

Answer 3

many are so bad I have even felt sorry for many, and if you read my posts I am one of the strongest "right" wing you will ever see.

Most I have seen have either a 6 X 8 cell with a metal or concrete bed and maybe a matress. They don't normally have TV in lock down and normally don't have radio, they were allowed 3 books, and 3 magazines. They are searched on regular basis so they can't have any extra sugars, or salts from the food tray.

They are allowed to go to the shower 3 days a week for 10 to 15 minutes and to the yard normally 2 or 3 days a week to what looks like a dog pen with no equipment in it.
And they will live like that for years

For those in commom area, they will have one or two TV for 50 inmates, they stay in commom areas when not at work details.

They are told when to go to sleep, when to eat, what to eat, what to do, they can only see a doctor if allowed

So no, they are not soft and not comfortable at all.
In many men degress to some of the losest forms of humans I have ever seen.

Answer 4

No, prisons are not "too soft and comfortable" To anyone who says differently, I'd like to know What prison have you been visiting? I'd like to arrange for a cherished friend to be transferred there! The top notch medical/dental care I'm always hearing about would be nice!He had a small cavity in one tooth and the answer was to pull the tooth, he needs to see a doctor to renew a prescription for a chronic condition (no, it's not a drug with any recreational potential, it's Prilosec) but can't see the doc because he is not bleeding, and when he does get that script renewed, he'll be paying for it or rather either his mom or I will be doing so. The situation has gotten so bad with prison health care that a federal judge recently ordered the whole department into recievership.
He shares a 6 x 12 cell with one other man, and counts himself lucky that there are not 3 in that cell due to the amazingly overcrowded state of the facility, he gets to leave that cell about 4 hours a day, including shower, chow, dayroom and yard time... and THAT is when the facility is not on lockdown due to drastic understaffing, courtesy of a hiring freeze imposed by the Governor...on lockdown, it really is in the cell, 24/7, food passed through the door, etc the only thing that keeps going is the mail (and by the way, I send him paper,envelopes and postage, unless it is a letter to one's attorney of record AND there is no money on one's books, the prison does not pay for letters)....the educational programs, IF an inmate qualifies AND if there is a slot available in the class.....and surely you see the need to try to educate these people to improve the chances of their becoming productive citizens upon release?
The showers are hot and reasonably clean, but inmates buy their own soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.
The food is a joke, and is barely legal in quantity and quality... most inmates get VERY creative with the top ramen that is available at the commisary...
What Gym/weight room are you talking about? My friend does an aerobic routine in his cell each morning and spends about half his time in the yard running his usual 3 to 5 miles, but there's no equipment available...I'm not complaining about that, but I'd like to know where you get your information.

As to other recreational activities, if there are video games, it has not been mentioned to me... Television in the day room where what to watch is decided by vote...any TVs or radios in the cells were not provided by the state, either the inmate or someone like me purchased them and like quarterly packages and phone calls (collect and incredibly costly) they are a privilige that is EARNED... Surely you can see the value of rewarding good behavior?

By the way, my friend is what they call a model inmate, he has had no disiplinary problems inside.
I could go on and on, but I really want to know what prison all these stereotypes of fun and games are based on, because it sure as hell is not in California!

Answer 5

Yes, I do. I think they should have to work more, hard labor perhaps. I don't see why I, as a taxpayer, should have to pay to furnish them with cable t.v. and other media outlets. There are so many budget cuts in every town in the U.S. We could use prisoners to fill some of the gaps in jobs that go undone due to lack of funding. I know prison can't be a picnic. It seems to me though, that going to prison doesn't seem to be a deterrent to crime anymore. Our jails are so overcrowded now that it's unbelievable. Maybe if we made it less like a picnic and more like punishment, crime rates would fall.

Answer 6

No. I think that americas prisons don't do the obvious things needed to deter crime.

1. Racial seggregation. Anyone who knows anything about prisons knows that prisons are EXTREMELY violent and the violence stems from racism....mostly black racism against whites. Seggregating the prison system would, by itself, eliminate most violence.

2. Rape. Rape and forced infection with AIDS are the rule, not the exception in prison. This creates people who are sociopaths who then go on to commit violent crime. Prisoners need to be 100% secured against rape.

3. Drugs. Drugs are commonplace in prison. Since it is a controlled environment, corruption is the reason.

4. Criminal subculture. Gangs and networking are what goes on in prison. This is highly inappropriate and leads to more crime.

5. Too much new age bullshit and almost no rehabilitation. Only punishment works for rehabilitation. Prisons need to refocus on appropriate types of punishment that force prisoners to re-evaluate their lives and behavior.

All of these issues are easily fixed with one minor change to the prison system.....solitary confinement.

If 100% of the people in the prison system did 100% of their time in solitary confinement, there would be no violence, no rape, no drugs, no gangs. And the people in prison would most certainly KNOW it is punishment. Solitary confinement is grueling punishment without being cruel and unusual. And the amount of punishment tends to fit the crime, based on how much time you must do. Nobody does a ten year stretch in solitary confinement without a strong desire to never end up back there. I don't care how hard you think you are.

Answer 7

For the most part yes. It's a freaking luxury vacation, you get to lift weights, watch tv, use the internet... etc.. sure you may have to go to your little cell at the end of the day, but you get 4 free squares a day, and a bed to sleep. Depending on the crime, most criminals should have solitary confinement.

Answer 8

Put yourself in a cage without windows. Close the cage door.
Eat all of your meals & sleep there. If prison is a deterant, it's
not working because there are 10 times the amount of people
incarcerated as there were 6 yrs. ago.

Answer 9

Bring back the chain gangs!!! Hard labor!!! Prisons have revolving doors and when they stay shut for some offenders it costs the American people too much in taxes!!!

Answer 10

Absolutely. There is one prison in this country that I am aware of that all prisons should be modeled after. They get fed bologna sandwiches (that they have to pay for), no smoking, no porn, they live in tents (no air conditioning), they work chain gangs (even the women so he doesn't get sued for discrimination). If they complain, he tells them "don't come back". I love this guy.

Answer 11

matters on the jail but yes some are comfy and some are freakin' ruff.
if you ever see upper malboro mayland court house jail you'll see what i mean by ruff it only has one window people can see you use the bathroom and they have a cot to sleep on and the comfotablness usually matters on who you are when diana ross was in jail se some times could go home at night when their was nobody to wach and she could use her cell. oh but the jail cell is for holding prisoners while they are bout to go to another jail and some jails let selected prisoners have dogs