What is wrong with hard labour (like smashing rocks) for prisoners in the UK and do other countries have a?

Question

prison regime with hard labour in them.

The Gimp - I mean about 4 hours a day smashing rocks and 4 hours training. Instead of playing on playstations and having a cushy life

Answer 1

is smashing rocks going to equip them with the training and socialisation they need to turn their lives around and get a decent job on release? Where are you from? The 18th century?

Answer 2

First the punishment, then the rehabilitation. Rather than smashing rocks, (who needs to buy smashed rocks), I would have the convicts peeling potatoes. The potatoes could then be sold to restaurants, the proceeds going to pay towards the keep of the convicts.

The advantage of peeling spuds is that the activity does not need much supervision, and, bearing in mind the complaints that convicts are kept locked in their cell for most of the day, it is an activity that can be done within the cell. After breakfast, you get 200 kg of potatoes and some buckets of water. If you have done 50 kg by lunchtime, then you are allowed a decent lunch, some association, and a smoke.. If you have not, then you get bread, marge and a vitamin pill.

The peeling knife would be handed to the convict in a plastic case, and would be returned through the feed-hole similarly wrapped.

To avoid RSI, convicts would not have to peel spuds every day. Winding wool, untangling spaghetti, cracking nuts, peeling oranges, crushing spices to make garam masala, washing dirty tins for recycling, grating onions, cleaning the Army's boots, painting subbuteo footballers, descaling removed lavatory bowls for re-use, kneading dough, making pasta, shelling broad beans, grating cheese and part-filling the holes in badly made sponges, are other tasks that spring to mind.

If you do 25% of your quota, you get porridge, bread and marge, twice. 50% and you get beans on toast, twice, and some frankfurters and 5 fags..55% and you get some matches, so ttaht you can light your fags! 75% and you get either a cooked lunch or dinner, a smoke, and some association. 100% and you get three cooked meals, 15 fags/roll-ups and evening association and some leisure. 100% for 4 days out of five guarantees you sugar in your tea, a large Scotch on Friday night, and 20 fags/roll-ups over the weekend.

I am not being funny. This regime will inculcate what my generation was taught (I'm 50) - you earn your privileges in life. Millions of law-abiding people do mind-dumbing labour five or six days a week. I drink 5 beers per night, and smoke 1/2 oz of pipe tobacco per day, but I work for it. If you do not work, unless there are very good reasons, then you should only get subsistence, inside of prison or in the community. I have a large Scotch on Friday - indeed, sometimes two large Scotches, if I feel I have earned them. Prisoners should not be exempt from such treats, but, once again, they must earn them, and earn them hard..

After a convict has earned rehabilitation, then this can be offered. Punishment, however, must come first.

Answer 3

I remember an Englishwoman got 50 years with hard labour in Egypt around 1986. I think it is middle Eastern Countries that do that and I think the USA still use chaingangs in some States

Answer 4

Paul_601 Asks "Whats the point of doing that" so I'll tell him!
The point is that if you were breaking rocks for a large part of each day, you would have to have rocks in your head to break the law again!
'Inhumane' I hear some folks say. Sure, it is! But when you break the law, in my view, you put yourself outside the law, and beyond it's protection. And you absolve the rest of society from treating you with 'humanity'.

Answer 5

A lot of criminals "claim" to be Christians so they get a lesser sentence. Prisoners claim to be born-again Christians in attempt to get out early. - But then ALL christians "claim" to be christians and not one of them actually proctices what they try and force onto everyone else. If it was socially accepted that Christians are such terrible violent people like you atheists say, these criminals would say they are not Christians. - They are violent not stupid. so your argument is invalid. What do you think? - I thnk you are making up whatever is convenient to fit your paradigm. it's hard trying to reason with people that are incapable of logical thinking - That is what we keep saying, you believe in a proven fantasy and think yourself intelligent or logical.

Answer 6

A lot of prisons are equiped with industrial units, so the prisoners do work. It isn't back breaking rock breaking work though.

Answer 7

Now johnno, you must realise that a silly question like that could lead to you being sued by 80 thausand prisoners, who have just broke into a sweat after reading your question. I mean if they were to work: when would they have time to watch TV, or play snooker, or socialize with their fellow 'hotel' guest? (hope you are well insured!!)

Answer 8

That sounds like a smashing idea!

Answer 9

Nothing at all,make the bastards work for their keep,just like honest people !

Answer 10

I fully agree, but think of all the union members they will put out of work.