US prison workers produce $11bn worth of goods and services a year for pittance

I've seen them as well, when I worked for the Sheriff's Dept. They are usually drug burnouts who can't cope with the complexities of living in a free society. They do function in the structured detentions environment. But they're still criminals, so regardless of their motivations, they are where they need to be.
But paying a more reasonable wage and charging for services provided would teach a lot of living skills, in my opinion. I don't like the idea of supporting these folks for the rest of their lives.
 

But paying a more reasonable wage and charging for services provided would teach a lot of living skills, in my opinion. I don't like the idea of supporting these folks for the rest of their lives.
Agreed, plus addressing offender's drug usage as a solution to keep them out of the revolving door of incarceration.

Social problems are going to exist, the "just say no" pablum was a quaint fairy-tale soundbite from a by-gone campaign. We can lock them up, or address the social problems up front or...? Think: "pay me now or pay me later".
 
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From the original poster's link: "More than 75% of workers told ACLU researchers if they can’t work or decline to do so, they are subject to punishment ranging from solitary confinement to the loss of family visits to denials of sentence reductions." If they can work, but decline to work, shouldn't there be a consequence?

"The authors of the report are calling for extensive changes around the use of prison labor, including ensuring that such work is voluntary and provides workers with the same wages and protections granted to other workers as well as work programs that give incarcerated workers marketable skills and training." Why should the work be voluntary and pay equal to outside jobs? Folks outside the prison system have far more expenses and budgeting issues. I do believe that if they have no marketable skills, they should be trained.

As a sidenote: The workshops for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled also pay pennies an hour. Most of these people have little say in their placement and are unlikely to ever live independent lives. They do, however, show pride in receiving a pay check and planning their purchases.
 

It seems that there is a fairly easy solution for these inmates.....Obey the Laws.

Agree here,
There's a better way. / note that even people who obey the laws suffer from the legal system, as it is unjust /

Correct/ fix/ totally do away with jails. /make punishment accomplished quickly, appropriate for any crime; and do not spend a hundred dollars defending someone guilty of murder, etc /

Only a few countries ever did this, and it worked great.

In just the usa, billions or even trillions of dollars would be saved, and crime would go way down too.
 

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