Where does the Conservative idea that US Prisons are luxurious come from?

Question

I've visisted many US prisons and they are brutal awful places where people live a very harsh, and controlled life with little or no dignity. Most inmates are assaulted regularly. Where do these myths come from that it's a comfortable place with video games and laptops and bocci?

Also, given the fact that 90% of all inmates eventually live back in society with you and me, how could you justify the idea that prison should be even more harsh and brutal?

Maybe you could post the names of these luxurious state prisons you are talking about? Unless you have no idea what you are talking about and "heard it somewhere".

Answer 1

To all who believe the "luxury" myth...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,and there is most certainly no air conditioning except in the infirmary, inmates can, if they have a high enough privilege status order an electric fan. 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 2

It's not Conservatives. At least not the few remaining TRUE Conservatives. They are a rapidly dying breed, unfortunately. The Republican party was hijacked by the Neo-Cons and the religious right many years ago and they have decimated a once proud and effective party. It started with Nixon. Reagan kicked it up to high gear. Bush Jr was the culmination of their work. It might have worked had they selected a competent individual instead of a bumbling idiot who couldn't string a coherent sentence with a needle and thread. The Republican party has degenerated into a classic Circular Firing Squad with everyone taking pot-shots at each other. Were not the country in the mess that it is now thanks to the Neo-Cons and their failed agendas it would be comical to watch it. If the few remaining moderates in the Republican Party don't stand up and take charge quickly, the party will go the way of the Whigs. Barry Goldwater is spinning in his grave as we speak.

Answer 3

Well, first of all there is a difference between federal prisons and state prisons. Federal prisons are definately nicer than state prisons. Also, not all state prisons are created equal. I worked in the AZ system for 7 years and although there were some assults and murders, it really wasn't any more dangerous than living in the seedier parts of say L.A. or D.C. In fact, given the fact that you have officers patrolling the living area's 24/7 it is probably safer in prison. They eat well, have college classes (free), medical and dental (often these are free too) and recreation. We had a track, handball courts, weight area (until that was removed) and cable t.v. (free). Not too shabby. There's a lot of people out on the streets with a lot less.

Answer 4

Its true that we should be embarrassed of our prison system. I sympathize with the answerer who thinks that prison should be bad and punish. But we must remember that unless we have given the person a life sentence we are going to have to deal with this individual in society at large once again. The sad truth is that our nations prisons are full of people who for right or wrong are there due to drug offenses. If somebody was selling drugs and then goes to jail for ten years what do we think that person is going to do when they get out? If we are as a society going to impose laws and prison sentences we are as well saying that we are taking responsibility for this person since we think that they are not responsible enough to exist in our society. It is plain to see that we would like to change the person's behavior. If that is the case America's prisons are a sad example. Perhaps a change in the laws is needed. perhaps we need to ensure that our prisons don't become hotbeds of gang violence, drugs, aids, the list goes on and on. We are a society that is all hyped on justice but is horribly shy about solutions.

Answer 5

Well, I don't think Conservative people think that the prisons are "luxurious", but they aren't too fond of the idea that tax payers pay for boarding and food and medical problems inmates have, because it costs Americans at least $30,000 per prisoner per year to keep them locked up, while some people on the outside still make less than that a year. Some people actually get sent to jail because they can't make a better living in the real world.

Answer 6

No, there are not alot of assaults in prison and far less sexual assualt. Most are very clean and the inmates are treated fairly and humanely. They are very controlled, that is what prison is about.

And security is more important than diginty but they are treated well with security as an important.

And I dont know about laptops, but I have been to many that have tennis courts, all had basket ball courts. some had movie theators, weight rooms and all had TV's in the cell blocks

the Federal Prison at Ray Brook was the most fancy I have been at, they even served sword fish for speical religious days and had a all you can eat buffet and salad bar every day

Answer 7

They are criminals!!!! Helloooo!!! They don't deserve caviar and cocktails. I have also visited a few prisons. Mansfield State Penitentiary, Ohio, Chillocothe State Prison, Ohio, and a privately owned super max in Youngstown, Ohio. They didn't seem like hellholes to me. The buildings were clean, air conditioned, the inmates get three meals a day, have access to computers, books, television, weights and exercise equipment. The inmates actually live better then some law abiding citizens. There are laws for a reason, and I believe when some one makes the choice to break a law, then they forfeit their constitutional rights. Perhaps if the bleeding heart liberals would quit whining about capital punishment and we juiced a few more of these scum bags, there would be less crime.

Answer 8

Prisons are hellholes in every part of the world and the police are the same in every part of the world .The situatiopn is the same in any asylums may be mental or any other who cares is the attittude of the soceity .nobody is interested to know the facts because everybody wants to hide from the pains of the unfortunate who may be jailed for petty crimes and majority of them would be undertrials whose guilt is not proved and they are where they are just on suspision of an officer who wants to clear his files and get promotion and furtherence of his cause that is life man.That is life a pity to mankind.

Answer 9

I believe that the idea that prisons are luxurious came from people seeing what their tax dollars are buying for inmates who have broken the law when they can barely or not at all afford the same things. Cable TV, gyms, three meals a day, heat in the winter air conditioning in the summer, clothes. etc. People resent paying for things for convicts that they can't have themselves. Big Mac in McAlester Oklahoma had at one time for inmates a weight room that was fantastic. The guards weren't allowed to touch any of the equipment, it was for convicts only. Also many prisons have cable T.V. for the inmates to watch. A sheriff out in Arizona got sued by the inmates because all he allowed them to watch was CNN or other news shows. The inmates lost I believe. He was also sued because he dyed all of the county owned clothing pink, he won that one as well. People believe that inmates are there for punishment not a vacation.

Answer 10

let's see air conditioning, special diets , color satellite or cable tv. free dental , vision and health care, free clothes, free acess to a law library where they can try to get their conviction reversed, free lawyers, and best of all free time off. I know a man who worked as a guard at the state prison back in th sixties. A convict escaped from Illinois and comitted a crime here. Upon conviction he was sent to the prison where he told the warden "I ain't picking no cotton and I don't plow no mule. I want steak every nite and my old lady here every weekend. If'n I don't get all of that I'll file a suit tomorrow in federal court." At five the next morning he was dragged out of bed and carried to a eight foot deep hole with a large metal ring in concrete in the bottom. The leg shackles were passed through the ring and he was thrown a barrell pump. the guard raised a gate and the river began to fill the hole . My friend told me that when they went back to get him his trousers were not wet except to mid thigh. When his lawyer came he filed a suit to be transferred back to Illinois.