Prison conditions; fair or unfair?

Question

Hey, I'd like to ask your opinion about this. Prisoners in most developed countries get television, a gym, payphones, living quarters, all this and more for free. Is this fair? Is it fair that they have basically everything we do for free, except their freedom? Or should the prisons be like in Arizona, where the prisoners wear pink clothes (socks, shorts, underwear, shirts), live out in tents (very hot), and do work daily?(this was in an e-mail i got)
I believe it is fair. Why should people commit a crime, and then basically get a reward for it? They should be punished. Jails are no longer a punishment anymore. They are 'free parking' spaces, where someone gets everything for free. If jailers worked hard everyday, people would try harder not to commit crimes, and our jails would be emptier. Please give your opinion.

Answer 1

I am sorry to say, but you sound kind of naive for saying things like that. First of all do you know that there is a fairly high percentage of people who are falsely imprisoned?
Maybe they live in the areas that predominantly are run by gangs- if they get picked for ANY reason, they have NO CHANCE.
Did you know that about 90% of prisoners at Rikers Island are only detainees. People only awaiting trial- not found guilty of anything yet! Most just don't have any money of help to make even the smallest of bails. Did you know that in NY, if you kill someone who breaks into your apartment and tries to kill your family, you are charged with murder. There is no self defense law here.
And yes there are TVs but they get one channel- that is barely visible and there are phones that barely work but the gangs usually run that stuff anyway.
I just hope that you never have someone close to you that has to go to jail for any reason. Because you will then realize that you are being very biased.

Answer 2

How is viewing a television that is placed15 feet off the ground and behind 3 inches of Plexiglas a reward for committing a crime?
A parking lot? Most prisoners work 12 hour shifts with no breaks and they are paid less than .35 cents an hour. Companies using prison labor are not required to pay minimum wage, provide benefits or workers compensations.
If the company using prison labor is in California, the company gets a 10% tax break.
If prisoners are doing nothing, like you say they are, then why is there a 5 billion dollar a year industry in products made by prison labor and tons of web catalogs that specifically sell prison made items?
So shut your fat ignorant mouth and start studying theshit you want to complain about.
You should really consider moving to Iraq. They have the kind of prisons you like there. Ones they lock someone away in and forget about them.

Answer 3

1 out of 5 people are in prison? Where did that come from Riteon? And no, it couldn't happen to just anyone. You are not one step away from prison. Prison is for felons convicted of serious crimes, not speeding tickets.

Joe Arpaio (sp?) is the sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, who has his prisoners sleep in military tents in the desert. He has (barely) been able to defend this in court because they are the same tents the army gets. He lost the court battle and had to provide television but he set it so they only get the Disney channel and Nickelodeon. This is a jail though and not a prison. The people sentenced there stay for less than a year.

Guess what? He has one of the lowest recitivism rates around. That means fewer return customers.

Answer 4

Society must protect the people they punish - providing reasonable food, housing, sanitation and health care. After that, prisoners don't deserve a thing.

However, prison guards do deserve our thanks and protection. Their job is much more dangerous when prisoners have time on their hands, or when they are frustrated by the meaningless existence they lead. So I support your idea generally, but if TV priviledges or other items give the guards some extra level of control over the prisoners, then I think they should have those items to give out or hold back as they see fit.

Answer 5

The only alternative to stealing outside of prison is to work. The decision to steal is at least partly due to an assessment that it will be more profitable than working.

Of course, to work one has to know a trade of some kind and many criminals have never learned one.

I see no problem at all with punishing a criminal by offering him work but diverting a major part of his "earnings" to support himself and the system in exactly the same way as he would have to on the outside. And, in the same way as outside, he could be permitted to keep a higher level of his "earnings" as his contribution increased, thereby giving him or her an incentive to better themselves.

In this way, prisoners could prepare themselves for "re-entry" by developing work habits and skills. Certainly more so than sitting around watching TV, playing volleyball, and BSing with their buddies.

I am not a big believer in rehabilitation for serious crimes --- I just want them away from the rest of us. But, a program along the lines described above would have a at least some benefits. If they work well, I have no problem with TV, a gym, payphones, and all of the rest since they are pulling their own weight as best they can under the circumstances. If they refuse to work, just take away all of their privileges and lock them down without them. That is punishment --- but you are there by choice. Just like on the outside. Talk back to your boss and you get fired.

Of course, we would hear a lot of carping from the unions about unfair competition, there will be a lot of liberal BS about "slavery" etc. etc. But, when you committed the crime, you gave up many of your so-called rights as a citizen. And, once inside, you would have exactly the same choices as outside. You work or you lead a miserable life. If you work well, you have a better life. Slavery is when you don't have a choice and the choice on the outside is never between working and watching TV!

Answer 6

I agree with riteon. I don't know how many prisons you have been to, but what you speak of is not the norm for prisons. Believe it or not, the prisoners are not sitting around watching Oz or the Sopranos all day long. The truth of the matter is that being locked down in a cell about the size of your bathroom is not what I call a great way to live. There are prison gangs, there are rapes, there are fights etc etc. Please do NOT believe the hype that the regular prisoner has a great life in prison. Now, if we speak about those who are very wealthy and then convicted, then we are speaking about the CAMPS where I am sure they are not living the life of the average criminal. If you were correct about our correctional facilities, then I would agree with you, however, I can speak for the state of Georgia where I know that prison is by no means a picnic for criminals.

Answer 7

I agree with you 100%. I do not believe that jails are a punishment either. My father was a detention officer and would tell me stories of homeless people who would commit some petty crime at the start of winter. They would get a 4-6 month sentence, just enough time to wait out winter. They'd get 3 meals a day, clean clothes and a warm place to sleep. I don't believe in inhumane treatment, but they should have to work. I live in Arizona and most of us here think Sheriff Joe is awesome!! It's not an uncommon sight to drive down a street in Phoenix and see a chain gang busting their butts in 100 degree weather.

Answer 8

Well, little girl, I got news for you. Think about going into your bedroom and not coming out for anything for years. Think that would be a blast? Think about eating the worst food possible for years. As far as having a TV in prison, only a few have that privilege because the prison charges $500 for a 10 inch TV, not to many incarcerated can come up with the money. As far as payphones, the family gets ripped big time on that also, if their son, daughter, husband takes the collect call from their relative in prison, its an outrageous price.
My freedom, no amount of money could buy. And by the grace of god, anyone of us could end up in prison, or a member of our family. Look at the statistic's, I believe its one out of five people.
I, for one, hope I never have to find out weather I think being locked up in a confined place for years is punishment. My common sense, already tells me it is.
PS Mike....they just had a special on CNN a couple weeks ago and that was the count....1 out of 5 people end up in prison at some time or another.
Come on think about it, do you know a person or have a friend that has a drinking problem....they may end up in prison. The prison is full of alcoholic's. The prison is full of mentally ill people. Not everyone in prison is a killer, rapist, or child molester. That's why I made the statement, by the grace of god, their go I.

Answer 9

The tough prisons are good in some ways and allow law abiding citizens to feel that prisoners are getting the kind of punishment they deserve. On the other hand when prisoners have been released and get into trouble they get desperate to not return to prison and have resorted to violent acts against the police and citizens to keep from going back in.

Answer 10

All prisons should be turned into massive farms to grow renewable resources for fuel. Prisoners should be forced to give back to society, not join up with their gangs in prisons, just to commit more crimes while incarcerated. Seems like the majority of documentaries show the prisoners teach each other how to better commit crime. Criminal 101, Advanced. Take the weights away from them. When they get back to the streets they are 25+ lbs heavier of pure muscle, just makes them even cockier. Also, both themselves and their families should be forced to pay for their comfort items. Maybe if their mommas/baby momma/whatever welfare check was taken from her when he went to jail, he wouldn't be so inclined to commit crimes. His actions need to affect his family, maybe the family unit in turn would grow stronger to prevent crime.