[lbo-talk] Koppel goes to prison

[B.]

There's a solution to this problem that is
much-beloved by the right and callers into
conservative talk shows: charge prisoners room and
board and/or make them work for their "free housing
and meals" by doing labor for the state (making
license plates, etc.), or for private companies
(making circuit boards, as some inmates do in Texas).
If the income from that doesn't cover all the
housing/feeding/medical expenses, keep a running tally
of what the prisoner owes -- then, when the convict is
paroled or released, garnish his wages 'til it's
repaid in full.

I have seen/heard this solution bandied about a lot.
Pretty depressing. The philosophy towards folks in
prison is often "Go as far as you like, I don't care."
Can't extract enough retribution from them.

In fact, it seems like they're an easy target for
misplaced anger and frustration about other stuff,
easy sitting ducks, a socially-approved group to
unleash one's pent-up (even unrelated) rage onto.

-B.

Dennis Claxton wrote:

"Premieres Sunday, Oct. 7, at 9 p.m. ET/PT What does
the California prison system have in common with
Harvard University? It costs precisely as much to
house, feed and guard one prisoner for one year in a
California state prison as tuition, meals and housing
cost for a student enrolled for one academic year at Harvard."