Mar 05 2009
No Recess for Prisoners
I’m just going to go ahead and thank my K-bear for that title because she popped that out today when I was bitching about all of the prisoners at the state pen outside playing. Really, playing as in running races, basketball and other assorted playground activities. Yeah…for some reason that right pissed me off today as I was driving past the little spectacle again.
So here is why it pissed me off. Why do people who broke the law get play time? And I don’t mean one speeding ticket and they got overnight in jail I’m talking ‘hard time’. Because it would be cruel and unusual for them to not get play time? Gee. I guess I don’t really care if the baby killer or the robber or the rapist doesn’t get to spend some time playing with their little friends. I’m such a bitch that way. As a matter of fact I’m not terribly fond of free education, public defenders wasting my money on appeals, free room and board or a soft bed; but I know some things are necessary for a ‘civilized’ society even for the members of the society that aren’t all that civilized.
Where the hell are you going with this Birdie? I’m getting there. Here’s the thing. While we are reforming the hell out of everything why not do the prisons too? Cut spending on food. How? Make the prisoners work outside growing their own crops and livestock (in the sun and fresh air because I am such a softie). They can then can/freeze food for the winter. Poof goes a huge amount of money from the state and federal budgets. Healthcare…interns. They need the practice, take ‘em out of the ER and put ‘em in the prison. They work for practically nothing and inmates get healthcare. Win win and a lower budget.
There could be a barter system for items like cotton that can only be grown in certain areas. Let’s say a prison in Mississippi grows the cotton and the inmates there tend the fields pick it (by hand because why waste money on machines and gas). Then they could send it to another prison that gets the seeds out or processes it or whatever. Then it could go to another prison that weaves it into cloth. Then another that makes it into clothing. Everything could be made by the prisoners. The prisons that would essentially be turned into factories could be run on hydroelectric, wind, or solar power to further cut costs. Heck take ‘em all of the grid.
Right. So prison reform. Make prisoners work and prisons self sustaining and cut the fucking recess.
Amen to this! I completely agree!! Are you my twin!!?? LOL. But, yeah, we need to buckle down in this area. No cable tv, no nutritious foods, no play time, no education, and no attorneys for them. If they want an attorney, they will have to find a way to pay for one. If they can’t, then so sad, too bad.
Never mind the fact that 1/2 the people in US prisons are there for non-violent drug offences… just make a declarative statement that they are all rapists, and baby killers… that’s nice… Nurture that anger…Ignore the facts.,, But it is nice to see someone who is going to be happy about the fascist trends in governmnet.
Took it a minute but you got there. Nice rant.
One of the things that really scares me about our prisons is the privatization of them. Having prisons, that are supposed to be rehabilitating people, run for profit like a business? That’s just counterproductive. What incentive would the prisons have to rehabilitate their inmates? They make more money if the people stay in prison.
1 out of every 100 American adults is incarcerated right now. In my state of Ohio that number is 1 out of every 25, most of them there for non-violent drug offenses.
Something definitely needs to change…
Yay, new post. Your proposed hippie commune for prisons actually sounds like somewhere I’d like to live.
But did you ever watch Arrested Development? There’s an episode in the first season where the father (who’s in prison) is having such a great time playing baseball and doing crafts with his fellow inmates that he doesn’t want to be released. . . until the umpire gets shanked for a bad call. Best show on television.
I like it, unabashed fascism, what can I say, might makes right. You got me there. To hell with anyone who crosses the line. Well unless its a high ranking offical of the federal government then lets just look forward. Well hats off, we are living in a country where the federal government has trashed our constitiution, commited war crimes and authorized the military to conduct domestic operations, essentially setting the stage for a police state. And you are pissed off because prisoners get to shoot some hoops… Your moral indignation has been noted.
@ eclecticbird- I would not say you are queen of the bitches (because truly I believe I hold that title). I just think that maybe you don’t know all the facts and I am not talking about just the facts you can read about on paper or in all of the endless studies on the subject. I am talking about the day to day facts of living in a prison. Let me just clarify that I know there are some evil people in prison and most everybody there is guilty, but there are also quite a few people in prison who are basically good people that just made a really bad decision. They are doing their time which is completely appropriate, but there should be something to rehabilitation. A lot of these people will be released back into society and it would be nice for them to come out in better condition than when they went in. I wonder if anyone you love has ever been incarcerated or if you think something like that could never happen to you, but let me tell you it can happen to anybody. Just so you know most of them would love to grow their own food and work for their meals. As a matter of fact, fresh food from the garden would be a blessing in place of the food poisoned meat that you claim is a convenience. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure there are areas in which expenses can be cut, but don’t assume that everyone wants to sit around and play basketball all day.
One other thing you should consider is the officers that work at these facilities. Basketball, gardening, or other activities give inmates things to do. Which in turn gives them outlets for all of the pent up energy living in such closed quarters can bring. Like it or not this helps keep the peace and helps ensure the safety of the numerous employees.
Eclecticbird- I just started on this site and don’t have my blog set up yet, so you might just have to take my word on the bitch thing :). As far as agreeing with your idea of self sustaining penal systems, I think that would be great as long as they are still afforded humane treatment. As I said before there are probably a great many inmates who would be more than happy with this concept as well. It wasn’t that I felt you were completely off the mark. I just felt that you made some broad assumptions on certain topics and just wondered if you are really familiar with the way the prison system works or if you were just basing your thoughts on what you have heard from others. I ask this because I am very familiar with the way the prison system works here in Florida. As a matter of fact, I am more familiar than I ever wanted to be or thought I would be. My husband is incarcerated and I have been dealing with this for 8 years now. Don’t get me wrong. I am not one of those people that just because I have a loved one incarcerated means I think it should be all rainbows and lollipops. Prison is a place where criminals go to receive their punishment, but they are also supposed to be receiving some sort of rehabilitation. I agree that working all day is an excellent way to burn off energy, but in order to release people back into society there also needs to be some sense of a normal life. Otherwise you are sending completely institutionalized people out into society who have no idea how to behave in a normal society and are much more likely to re-offend. So my thoughts are……work to help sustain your life and not cost the state so much to care for you, but maybe at the end of the day you can shoot a few hoops so you can remember you are human and need to act as such.