Wondering what prisoners actually had to do. When I was there the jobs were just cleaning, kitchens and workshop stuff and there wasn't enough to go around. I would have much preferred to have a job to make time go quicker.
2006-12-19 04:42:49 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
A hundred years ago it was useless work designed to break the spirit. Oscar Wilde, for instance, had to spend many hours a day on a treadmill. Hard labour was meant to contribute to the reformation of offenders by teaching them to be industrious, but the punishment was also meant to deter others from committing crime. Prisoners in houses of correction were typically set to beating hemp; those imprisoned sometimes worked a water pump; while men incarcerated in the hulks worked on dredging the Thames or in the naval dockyards. Others were sentenced to work on ballast lighters.
On the whole, you were better off being bored.
2006-12-19 08:16:38 · answer #1 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dig ditches, work on railroads ("that's the sound of the men, workin' on the chain ga-yang!"), I suppose some broke rocks like they do in the cartoons. I don't know if "garbage on the side of the road" pick-up is considered hard labor, but they can do that. I know that some prisons have a fire team, so if a wildfire gets out of control the prisoners come out to help fight it, but I think they have to be guilty of non-violent crimes (ie: white collar crimes) in case they escape.
2006-12-19 12:55:01 · answer #2 · answered by concretebrunette 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was born and raised on Portland, Dorset. The prisoners built the breakwater. Have a look on google earth. There are 2 prisons on the island still and a third is planned. My great grandfathers were both prison officers there. It must have been tough because the officers were armed with carbines.
2006-12-19 12:47:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Digging ditches, or some similar job out in the cold weather. No cushy indoor job, so you really wouldn't have enjoyed 6-8 hours outside, especially this weather (freezing cold, UK!!!).
2006-12-19 13:07:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the time it's felonies like DWI/DUI, assualt, wreckless endangerment and so on. Hard labor is usually given to people, so they could "repay" their debt to society.
2006-12-19 12:46:50 · answer #5 · answered by gregtkt120012002 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they arent forced to do that stuff and they get paid like a buck or two an hour to do that stuff voluntarily
2006-12-19 12:51:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋