Do you think perhaps prisoners here could be used as soldiers in Iraq perhaps for a leniency in sentences?

Answer 1

They should be offered the opportunity to fight in lieu of prison, depending on their crime. It worked in WWII. And someone fighting for their own freedom would make a tough adversary for our enemy. I'm not talking serial killers, here! Prison style military "boot camps" are fairly effective with first time offenders, why not send them to real basic training and give them a chance to prove themselves? Their C/O can always shoot them if they try to desert!

Answer 2

It would have to depend on what they were in prison for, dont put a convicted serial killer behind an Ak-47, other than that it seems like a great idea. Perhaps they should set up some kind of program like this that allows a person to go and fight in the war for a portion of the amout the would have served in prison. Ex. If someone was sentenced to five years in prison give him 2 years of service.

Answer 3

The old "Dirty Dozen" scenario
Well, darlin, thing is---unless it hasn't dawned on you-- the military and its methods of operation are absolutely NO place for people who have major disiplinary problems in the first place !! And it is not a place to have social misfits running around with loaded high powered weapons and access to extremely powerful explosives and RPG's and ect ect ect----on top on that --- as a regular soldier in the military how will it make YOU feel to have someone at your back in an all out confrontation with the enemy that could literally have any type of psychological disorder known to mankind ?? The list goes on and on !!
Add to this--the absolute legal nightmare created in the court systems as thousands of lawyers take on tens of thousands of clients in injunction battles in the courts as paperwork locks the whole thing down in "unreasonable punishment" suits like this country has never seen !!
And this is but a simply glimpse into the nightmares of the suggestion that you have made---it is simply preposterous and impossible to the max !!
The jobs that our military personnel do CAN NOT BE PERFORMED BY THIEVES AND GANG BANGERS it takes quality people with their hearts as well as their lives on the line and to suggest that a low life from the sewer of society could do their job is an insult to them beyond the scope of normal insults !!!

Answer 4

No for starters they wouldn't have the same discipline of an actual soldier. Contrary to what most B rate movies would have you believe a soliders' life depends on both discipline and attention to detail. Also most criminals have a "me first, **** everyone else" mentality. That too is dangerous when your comrades are counting on you, especially if this person is in a leadership position.

Answer 5

Prisoners have the nastiest little habit of not being able to control their anger. So now you suggest we give people with anger issues assault rifles and send them over seas to represent America?...as if we don't have enough PR problems. It is a novel idea, but prison gang violence is regular and people are regularly harmed in prison fights, so although they know how to fight, they lack the respect for Commanders and trigger discipline(knowing when to shoot and when not too) required for the US armed forces.
-AND what happens when they die? All of a sudden people who in no way diserved the death penalty are dead while in America's prison system. What happens then?

Answer 6

Absolutely not. First off, most of us in uniform take pride in what we do and really don't mind the deployments, otherwise we'd get out. We are not "cannon fodder" and don't need convicts to come and serve in such a capacity. Lastly, the American soldier is a highly trained combat tool. It would be a huge waste of money to waste that kind of training on a convict who might just well us it in his criminal ways once he returns to the States.

Answer 7

Of course you have to take into account their crimes, psychological condition, personal history, and attitude toward authority. But I think if someone has four years of time left on their sentence, and they would rather enlist for four years in the Army than waste their time in prison....why not? If you got a strong back, we can use you. It works in the French Foreign Legion.

Answer 8

Could you imagine giving John Wayne Gacy or Jeffrey Dahmer guns and sending them to serve with, and possibly if the situation arose, protect or save the life of a young man? I personally can't, but hey, this is the United States, and if burglars who get injured in the process of robbing a house, can sue that home's owner, then I guess it is completely logical to think that craziness could happen in this country. You never know, a lawyer could be reading this and you just encouraged them.............

Answer 9

Oh my, I believe it is bad enough to have people fighting in Iraq without sending people there who already have problems and are there only to avoid prison. You then have people who are over there volunteering with the possibility of losing their lives, fighting along side of people who are already troubled? The selection process would have to be an awfully good one, or you would be putting many of our military men and women at risk.

Answer 10

Modern soldiers aren't like Wellington's "scum of the Earth." They are intelligent, trained, motivated specialists. Few prisoners would be useful.

Answer 11

I want our troops to be people we can be justly proud of. And we all should honor their sacrifices. Prisoners are scum. Being a member of the United States military is both an honor and a privilege. These are highly motivated, courageous people who do not want to serve with scum.