Fifey
Trakanon Raider
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That idea works in a theory but once you involve human greed it all falls apart. We have people being put in prison for non violent offenses like drug usage or prostitution and once you have a felony on your record you are no longer employable outside of jobs with no mobility.I'm not saying they don't exist, I'm saying it's wrong that they do.
Actually I've been thinking about it, and I would like to totally reverse my opinion.
Prisions should absolutely have an economy, that follows most standard laws that employer's must follow.
Like minimum wage.
Now, the prison could charge rent for the prisoner to live in, not the equivalent of an apartment, but the valuation of a prison cell.
Then they could charge for their meals, and the basic necessities.
The left over goes to the prisoner in an account, not liquidity exchangeable (until the end of their sentence).
Now you have a legitimate micro-economy inside the prison, which simulates the outside world.
You've got a carrot to work with, a reason for the prisoner to abide to the system, but not just a reason, a reason that simulates reality for re-integration.
Shit, they can use their money to buy up cigs, if that's what they want.
They can rent a higher value cell, in a nicer safer cell block.
They can save for a sex change, and hormone treatments if they want.
They can buy rec room time.
A better mattress.
A curtain for privacy when they poo.
Or they can fuck up more, and get deprived the carrot, sent to the shitty -- non payer's cells, the solitary or whatever, can't reintegrate everybody after all.
If that system were to go into place, you'd see what we've seen before with for profit prisons where the judges are paid off to sentence as many non violent people to prison so the profit to cost ratio is increased to please the share holders.