Privatized Prisons

[nalani]

I have a debate tomorrow night ... I have to argue on the con side of having a privatized prison here in Hilo.

Anyone have any thoughts on privatized prisons in your state?

 

[unclehobart]

Good: cuts costs, smaller popluation, easier to separate gangs, faster decisions, faster implementation of decisions aka less red tape, easier to keep up with tech advances.

Bad: Low wages for guards aka less qualified guards, inconsistent style from facility to facility, possible inadequate checks and balances system.

I think it would be a good idea for the ocean of lesser crime type criminals... non violent felony types. Keep the hardcore ones locked down in the state facilities.

 

[Maxout]

We are currently closing six of the eleven private facilities here in California. The rest will be phased out as alternative bed space opens up. The costs are really not lower due to litigation/logistics. Besides the California Correctional Peace Officer Association (CCPOA), a very powerful union, does not like them as they are non-represented staff.

 

[kuulani]

Do you know where they would build this prison?

 

[Gato_Solo]

Or we could do away with prisons entirely. Just drop the offenders onto a deserted island with the means to grow their own food. If anyone escapes (and I mean ANYONE), the entire population is executed from the air.

 

[nalani]

Maxout - that is such great information ... thank you!

ku'u - would you believe it - they're unofficially proposing that the prison be built outside of King's Landing ... between there and the Puna area in the forest ... of course, no one on the state or county level is talking because it has not been "officially proposed" as of yet

 

[kuulani]

Gato - kinda sounds like that 70s show "The Prisoner."

Nalani - King's Landing? Ha! Sure, have prisoners down there with all the vietnam war uncles shooting every little thing that moves. That's a good idea.

 

[fury]

I agree with Tom Cat. Why give criminals comfortable and sheltered places to stay? Make them make their own homes, on remote islands thousands of miles away from anything.

 

[kuulani]

There is some truth about prisons being too comfortable these days.

An uncle of mine is a "criminal". As soon as he's released on parole, he does something stupid to get back in. Why? Because it's easy in prison for him. He's been there long enough to be respected. Room, food, exercise ... he doesn't have to "make it" outside when he has it good inside.

 

[nalani]

not to mention it would be in the middle of the forested area ...

in my research, I've found that some of the inmates, mostly the females, who have been sent to out of state prisons actually prefer to be there because there are no "distractions" from their families and significant others ...

is it just me or is that just sad?

 

[nalani]

I know prisnoners are technically "behind bars" and have very limited freedoms .. but there's just something wrong with the fact that they eat three well-balanced meals every day, have warm beds, get access to education, and have "recreation" time when so many people out there lack these basic necessities and have not broken any laws ...

It's an old argument, I know ... I just still fail to see how it makes any sense .. and I have no possible solutions either ...

 

[kuulani]

Yeah, doesn't it just piss you off.

Decent hard-working people get paid crap, don't get scholarships for education 'cause "they make too much", sometimes skip meals 'cause they can't afford it, get taxed like hell ... and for what? The ability to say "I'm not a prisoner" or "I'm not on welfare."

Ooh, sorry, going off a bit

 

[Q]

Don't forget prisoner get free medical and dental.

 

[nalani]

Originally posted by *Q*
Don't forget prisoner get free medical and dental.

oh shit .. I forgot about that :mad2:

You know, I went for three years without medical and dental insurance for myself and my kids because I couldn't afford it - and I refursed to go on welfare .. not that there's anything wrong with welfare, but for me it wasn't an option .. I was able bodied and worked full-time .. I just couldn't afford the insurance .. (plus, even if I went on welfare-provided insurance, the premiums were still too high for me to afford) ...

 

[kuulani]

Something is definitely wrong with this system.

 

[greenfreak]

I'm not well versed on the prison situation these days but yes, people getting treated better 'on the inside' than they would on the outside is just insane.

There's a guy at another site at work who broke his leg in the parking lot of the office. He's been out of the office for weeks. He's rumored to be on Worker's Comp. Then today someone brought in a fishing magazine with him on the cover, holding a huge Bass. They're currently trying to track the picture to see what date it was taken/submitted.

No matter what system is/should be implemented, people are always going to take advantage of it. And we wouldn't want to do anything inhumane to people like sticking them together on an island somewhere for criminals, right?

 

[nalani]

No matter what system is/should be implemented, people are always going to take advantage of it. And we wouldn't want to do anything inhumane to people like sticking them together on an island somewhere for criminals, right?

*quickly quicks the bill to submit to legistlation about sending all the criminals to an island to fend for themselves under the rug and out of greenies sight*

umm... of course not, greenie *whistles innocently*

 

[Gonz]

I don't know much about the stats on private/state penal institutions, sorry, can't help there.
however, regarding the treatment of prisoners:while I agree that they have it "too easy", imagine yourself locked up in one. 3 squares & a cot is no replacement for freedom. It's not a cozy as it looks. We also have that pesky-assed 8th Admendment Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted..

 

[Gato_Solo]

"Cruel and Unusual Punishment" is a relative term. After all, MOST of the Western world looks at the death penalty as cruel, and we look at the punishments in the Middle-Eastern world as cruel. How cruel is a 6 X 8 cell, when I went through Basic Training in the same sized area (admittedly it wasn't a cell, but the size was about the same). Look at folks in the Navy, onboard a ship. THEY get less room than THAT. PLUS they have to share their bunk with at least one other person (not at the same time, though). If my Island scenario was implemented (fat chance of that), how much crime do you think there'd be? Seriously. And the rate of reciticism would most DEFINITELY be lower. PLUS they'd be forced to learn some craft to stay alive...

 

[BadBrain]

Originally posted by greenfreak
I'm not well versed on the prison situation these days but yes, people getting treated better 'on the inside' than they would on the outside is just insane.

There's a guy at another site at work who broke his leg in the parking lot of the office. He's been out of the office for weeks. He's rumored to be on Worker's Comp. Then today someone brought in a fishing magazine with him on the cover, holding a huge Bass. They're currently trying to track the picture to see what date it was taken/submitted.

No matter what system is/should be implemented, people are always going to take advantage of it. And we wouldn't want to do anything inhumane to people like sticking them together on an island somewhere for criminals, right?

Well, if 'people are getting treated better on the inside then they are on the outside' why is that an argument for making things worse in prisons? Why isn't it an argument for making things better on the outside?