Treatment of Prison Inmates

[Gravekeeper]

But as has been mentioned, there are opportunities for inmates to get jobs within the prison, educate themselves, etc, IF they sign up for them. Whining about a silly TV program and acting as though it was chopping off their legs or something is just overreaction.

Inmate make 23 cents an hour as out sourced labour with no oversight or regulations. You could refuse to do it, sure. But then you lose privileges. Private companies run prisons. They're allowed to use prison labour provided they only sell to the government. So inmates make 23 cents an hour making aircraft and military components.

Only 6% of all the money spend on corrections in the US goes to education programs.

Call it a symptom of a greater problem, but this specific situation is such small fries, it's amazing what tantrums YOU ALL are throwing over it.

Would you like some more straw over there or do you have enough? -.-

[Hyena Dandy]

But as has been mentioned, there are opportunities for inmates to get jobs within the prison

For a quarter an hour, and you get in trouble if you don't do it.

That isn't a job, that's slavery.

That doesn't mean a guard choosing to put on not-sports is some horrific power play that will lead to riots and anti-sociable former inmates.

As for it not being a power-play... Uh, she said it was a power-play. She said she was doing it because it made her happy to mess with them. THAT IS WHAT SHE SAID.

Will this singular thing lead to riots? No. IF prisoners were treated fairly in the US, IF we didn't keep a higher percent of our population in prison than totalitarian dictatorships (and, indeed, anyone), IF we treated people who are in prison as being there so they can get better instead of treating them like the whole point is to make their lives miserable, IF we treated prisoners being raped as a problem instead of a punchline, IF we treated ex-convicts as people who have done their punishment and it should be over with, IF we acted like prisoners are people who have done something wrong, not are necessarily bad people, IF prisoners were punished for not going to education, instead of not doing manual labor for under a quarter an hour, IF our prisons were run by people who don't have an INCENTIVE to fuck the prisoners over, and, in general, if we treated people in prison like FUCKING PEOPLE, then this would be something minor, and not worth all the rage.

Of course, if that was the case, we probably would be rightfully scornful of her behavior, instead of encouraging it.

[Ladeeda]

Are you suggesting inmates should get minimum wage? They get room, board, clothes, and other necessities provided. I know plenty of people who have never been in jail who can't afford a TV because all their money is spent on rent, utilities, and food.

I'm not impressed.

And I said "horrific" power play. Everyone is moaning about how "petty" a play this is, so isn't it petty to moan about it?

Anyway, repeating myself again isn't going to alter any opinions, so carry on without me.

[lordlundar]

Oh, so asking to put the basketball ball game is acting like a pre-schooler? The nerve! How dare they!? And to ask for an explanation when denied? The horror! Then to top it all off, one of them decided to vent his frustration by complaining to his friend and not getting physical over it? This was clearly the height of immaturity!

/super extreme sarcasm

Now you're just being a childish as those prisoners.

They asked, were told no, they asked why, were told why, then proceeded to whine like little children afterwards. This happened repeatedly. As well, a couple of them found out that shock of shocks, there is no expectation of privacy in a prison. They found out the hard way that they don't get their way all the time and whined about it. As such they were being treated as how they acted. Nothing more.

The only differences I saw between that scene and a day care was the prison has more swearing and larger children.

As for it not being a power-play... Uh, she said it was a power-play. She said she was doing it because it made her happy to mess with them. THAT IS WHAT SHE SAID.

Couldn't possibly have been in there a little bit of flavour text to make the stories more entertaining? It has to be because Kara's being "RESPECT MAH AUTHORATAH!!!"? Or did you not read the last part of the second last story where Kara could have written one of them up for disrespect but chose not to. Yup, clearly she's a power tripping dictator.

[Hyena Dandy]

Are you suggesting inmates should get minimum wage? They get room, board, clothes, and other necessities provided.

Yeah. And so do slaves.

If the situation continues as it is, I'd like them to get minimum wage. As it is, prisoners are punished for not doing work in prison.

Honestly, I'd like them to not have punishments for not doing the work. If the prisoners were volunteering to do the work in prison, then getting less than minimum wage, okay, that's fine.

Couldn't possibly have been in there a little bit of flavour text to make the stories more entertaining? It has to be because Kara's being "RESPECT MAH AUTHORATAH!!!"?

I guess you got me, if I assume the things she says aren't true, they might not be true.

As for "Well, she didn't write someone up later." That's entirely irrelevant to the point. This isn't a personal attack on Kara. This is a discussion of something she did, and the reaction that people had to it.

[Aethian]

If they were getting paid minimum wage they could have some pulled out for their up keep and some pulled out for child support.

[Ginger Tea]

Didn't we have one man released after being found innocent only to be billed for his time incarcerated?

[dendawg]

Yeah. And so do slaves.

Oh, spare us! They "enslaved" THEMSELVES by committing whatever crime it is that warranted them being sent to prison in the first place. Everything except for healthcare is a privilege, not a right! If they want minimum wage, then they should've gotten a job outside, and never done the crime to begin with!

[Andara Bledin]

Oh, spare us! They "enslaved" THEMSELVES by committing whatever crime it is that warranted them being sent to prison in the first place. Everything except for healthcare is a privilege, not a right! If they want minimum wage, then they should've gotten a job outside, and never done the crime to begin with!

Irrelevant. While I agree that criminals give up most of their rights when they choose to commit criminal acts, they do not give up the right to be treated as human beings. The fact that anybody thinks doing otherwise is ok or to be desired is a sad commentary on just how little we care about those outside or own personal monkeyspheres.

Slavery is not ok. Ever. Full stop.

That anyone thinks it is is deplorable.

[Gravekeeper]

Slavery is not ok. Ever. Full stop.

That anyone thinks it is is deplorable.

I was going to write a full respond to what I'm seeing in this thread but that pretty much sums it up.

Let that sink in for a moment. You're so wrong you have me and Andara agreeing on something. ;p

[Hyena Dandy]

Oh, spare us! They "enslaved" THEMSELVES by committing whatever crime it is that warranted them being sent to prison in the first place

Yeah, sorry, I'm really not fine with slavery.

I think that prisoners have given up a lot, but I think that they're still human beings. And a human being should not be enslaved.

I think the purpose of prisons should be to try to keep the public safe from the prisoners, and to try to keep prisoners from getting in trouble again. Not to get prison companies rich on government contracts.

I also think that we need to seriously try to change the reasons in the US why people go to prison. I think we need to change the fact that we keep more of our people in prison, per capita, than any other country. Either the rest of the world is a lawless wasteland, or America has a serious problem. And when we talk about prisoners in the US, we need to keep in mind that we imprison 30% more of our population than such bastions of freedom as Russia, or China. The only country that could POSSIBLY be higher than us (and the human rights watch has it at about a 50% chance) is the North Koreans.

Our prison system is designed to create repeat offenders, so that prison companies can get rich off of slave labor. It is not designed to keep the people of the US safe, or prisoners safe from each-other, it is not designed to keep prisoners from coming back, it is not designed to make sure prisoners have a chance when they get out.

It is designed to make money. And if you don't have a problem with that, that's quite frankly disgusting.

[Peppergirl]

I was going to write a full respond to what I'm seeing in this thread but that pretty much sums it up.

Let that sink in for a moment. You're so wrong you have me and Andara agreeing on something. ;p

I was actually just thinking the same thing.

[Ladeeda]

Stepping in again.

So, let's say they are getting minimum wage. Then you take out taxes, cost of food, residence, clothing, utilities, general household items, laundry [sent out to be cleaned by someone else], cable, gym/exercise equipment, and how much exactly would you have left? Let's add school, which most people cannot afford on a decent wage.

They are getting MORE than minimum wage due to lack of expenses. If they were charged for staying in prison, like the medieval gaols, then yes, they should be able to make some money to pay that off. But they aren't. They are getting all of that for free, and any money goes to luxuries. Extra food and stuff for their cells.

[kamn]

Ladeeda, I don't know if thats a comment on the prison system... or on the minimum wage...

[Ladeeda]

Both. Inmates are getting a lot more than a single-person household on one minimum wage income would get. So insisting inmates get all that PLUS minimum wage... well, why should anyone in poverty NOT commit a crime, if they could at least have 3 meals and a place to live?