Sending Prisoners Off To War Your Opinion?

Question

As a tax payer I feel it's time to send the criminals who we feed and provide a roof over their head, over to the war torn countries such as Iraq.....Why not have these criminals fight for their Freedom instead of the Taxpayers paying for their crimes...How do you all feel?

Answer 1

Are you aware that buying stocks in prisons today turns a bigger profit than if you buy stocks in a hotel or motel?
Did you know that many of these prisoners work for major companies for .50cents to $1.00 an hour?
Did you know that an 18 year old boy was recently sentenced to 28 years for robbing a convience store with a pistol.The same pistol that his father had killed himself with while sitting at a stop light, while his son of 3 years old sat beside him and watched, 15 years earlier.
Did you know that a young man of 20 recently tried to get help with his drug addiction?He was so depressed that he had attempted suicide.He was told that there was no room for him right now, but a bed would be available in about a month.A week later he was arrested for drugs.They had plenty of room for him in jail but no room to get him help when he asked for it.He was sentenced to two years, last October he was beat to death at Lansing Correctional Facility.
Did you know that a young man of 18 and 2 weeks was accused of rape because he was out with a 13 year old girl that he had known for 15 minutes and she was pulling his pants down.He had witnesses to the fact but a lawyer was going to cost his family $20,000.He settled for a court appointed lawyer who got it reduced to sexual battery.Today he is a angry young man who has to register as one of those terrible sex offenders we all hear about.The young lady involved sent 3 more young men to jail before she was old enough to have sex.

I am a jail minister. I see what goes on behind the black robes and jurries. I see the young and the old, the poor and (not the rich).It makes me cry at night when I think of how cruel our system is.All of the incidents above I was personally involved with.These be only a few.

NOTE:Kevin H, I believe that making people aware of the situation is the answer to this problem.I know Mona Lisa to be a Christian woman and I used to think the same way until I found out for myself the truth.

Example:Why do we have room for people in prison but no room in the places that they could get help and become profitable citizens?Answer:Because those who have invested in stocks wouldn't make the profits that their making now.GM,Toys R Us,GE,Firestone, and many other major companies wouldn't have healthy young people working for pennies.

This causes people to think, witch causes people to act.When many act on a situation things change.

Answer 2

I do not think that this is a good idea... we need troops that will listen to their superiors. We do not need vigilantes that would just go over there and do what ever they wanted to... what would the desertion rate be if we sent prisoners overseas to fight a war? We would need to employ guards to watch the inmate soldiers... where is the justice in that? Having to watch over criminals in a prison is bad enough, let's put our prison guards in a war zone and then see what happens...


I don't agree with paying for prisoners to live. Especially those that have commited crimes against children. However, setting them free by sending them to Iraq would lead to even more turmoil than we are already in.

Answer 3

This concept could only work in the movies, ie; "Dirty Dozen". However, sending all of the violent criminals into the middle east without weaponry might not be such a bad idea! Our armed forces and other nations forces could return home, the taxpayers save money, the criminals can run rampant and kill or be killed, and our prisons would have vacancies for all of the child predators and sex offenders that currently live amongst us.

Answer 4

If you give prisoners assault weapons and send them to Iraq they most likely will sell their soul to the insurgency for freedom. The prisoners would most likely become traitors and fight on the side of the enemy. Your idea has been brought up many times before and sounds really good on the surface but giving weaponry to convicted murderers with life sentences is super risky. Do you really think you could trust them? Many criminals are psychotic, schizophrenic and sociopathic individuals who at any time could turn their weapons on our servicemen and women. They are literally crazy. How do you think they wound up in prison in the first place? If you were in the service and in Iraq would you want to fight along side Charles Manson or Gary Ridgway the Green River Killer who murdered 49 women?

Answer 5

I can relate to your question, i have heard many of mine friends both male and female ask the same question.

Could it be that our military looks at it as: It has always been said that a soldier is the reflection of the branch of service,the brigade, the company,the unit,the squad and so on and so forth. A soldier 's success is based apon performance, willingness to do what ever is ordered without hesitation, question,or rebuttle. So if in an individual's personal life, having been living a reckless life attitude, having problems with personal discipline, this might become a danger to himself/herself or risk the lives of others, and more so with a company issued weapon. It just would not be a trustworthy situation.

Answer 6

This might work as an alternative for some criminals, but it would have to be very carefully controlled. The constitutionallity of such a program would probably be strongly criticized even if it was voluntary. It would probably cost a great deal to administer. Criminals would have to be screened to eliminated those who would cause more problems than good in a military situation. It is not a bad idea though for those who have only minor crimes. It would be far more rehabilitating than sitting in a cell.

Answer 7

Is this an original idea? It sounds logic, your reasoning and all of us 'normal' citizens, law-abiding citizens would probably think why not? first of all, criminals are punished and sentenced to serve time in prison. Sending them to war cannot be a replacement or a substitute for their sentence, as this would amount to releasing fugitives to terrorise innnocent citizens NOT of our country but of another country.

Just imagine, we have politicians on one side saying that this is a 'just' war for a good cause, or a war to liberate the people of country X... How do you think people of country X will think about ex-cons, sex offenders, substance abusers and robbers on their land?

the idea might sound cool, but it is just wishful thinking... the idea will never work

Answer 8

Honestly I think it is a bad idea. The modern war fighter must have tremendous self disciplin and control. Even in the heat of combat they are expected to act with great presense of mind. Two Marines were recently cleared in the Haditha case and even though innocent they caused the US great distress and strained relationships.

I'm for prison reform too but not at the expense of the warfighter who depends on the guys to his left and right.

Answer 9

No, the last thing we want to do is arm convicts with an M16A4 5.56mm Assault Rifle with an M203 Grenade launcher attachment.

I have a better idea, in my opinion.

Use them for all public works projects. Building bridges, highways, government buildings, etc.

Give farmers a break, let the convicts do the heavy lifting.

For military operations use them in supply and transport, good non combative role.

Answer 10

I think we should just send all of the conservative war supporters over to fight the war that they love so much.