Come on in! We've got milkshake machines, pizza...

[Win]

In the days of the "tucker telephone", which actually was not very long ago, Arkansas prison farms ran a tidy profit.

When I took criminal law, the four moral and legal justifications for punishment of criminals were (in no particular order): deterrence, rehabilitation, restraint, and retribution. I don't see milkshakes, pizza, weight rooms, or other amenities furthering any of those justfications.

To me, as a non criminal, and having been in a few counties and prisons to visit clients, they look pretty tough - I wouldn't want to be confined 24/7 to a particular facility. But I'm normal. I think that the hard core criminals probably perceive affording them kindness and dignity as weakness.

I now have little faith in the concept of rehabilitation - a lot of criminals are just that way by nature. Even when given the opportunity and a pretty sweet deal to be law abiding, they commit crimes. Thieves in particular. They like to steal, and will do it just to do it. It's inexplicable to normal people, but they're not normal, they don't think like law abiding people.

 

[Drew99GT]

Part of the problem I think is a complete lack of opportunities for many people, outside of crime. I'm not defending criminal activity in any way, just stating the reality as I see it. It used to be that the average guy could get a meaningful job with little to no education. That is gone in today's global economy. We can talk about higher education for everyone (until that bubble bursts), but the reality is, not everyone has the capacity to go to college and get a technical educated type job.

As a result, society amongst the lower class in the US is basically destructing, particularly amongst the black community. Yes, I said it. And therefore, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and a system of crime and pathology (for lack of a better word) that feeds it self.

If your only skill set is selling dope and committing crime and you can't get a job, sitting in prison on the tax payers dime isn't a bad gig. In many ways, the prison system in the United States has become a new form of welfare.

 

[Shannow]

Listened to the radio the other day on the results of a study that indicated that the increased chance of getting caught was the primary driver in reducing crime rather than the fear of punishment.

Something to do with the crims typically only thinking of here and now, not about a year in the clink etc.

It's worked in Oz with drink driving, with high profile RBT stations, adds "Under .05 or under arrest"

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
But, what are you going to do when more and more of the prison system is becoming privatized...


Maybe that has something to do with the pizza and milkshakes. The management/operations of many of these places is being farmed out to private companies. What company in this to make profits is going to pass up a massive captive audience who wants pizza and milkshakes, but can't get them anywhere else? Welcome to Marriot Correctional Hospitality Facility.