zlacker

>>zdw+(OP)
Whether someone is a criminal or not doing this work is besides the point. The person is being punished for the crime through incarceration. Having to serve as a slave in that system should be illegal.

This is btw also common practice in Germany and France. Prisoners who want access to sports, more than 1 shower a week, a TV/radio, etc ... are only able to do so when taking part in prison work.

Edit: And whether one is allowed to work, and how soon, also depends on whether one gets along with the guards. Work also decides if one can afford to fuel a nicotine or caffeine addiction - if not you have to go beg the Russians, Albanians or whoever runs that racket etc to add it to your tab that you can later pay off with interest ...

Edit-2: what most don't seem to grasp is that a large percentage point of those inside are usually on the streets in cold countries and rather get locked up than freeze to death. Another sizable percentage are refugees escaping conflict zones and that fell through the cracks of a system that should have given them ptsd treatment. Not everyone inside is there because they deserve doing time.

>>pseudo+sj
I see a disconnect between your pargraph 1 and 2. In 2 you describe something that actually sounds reasonable - re-socializing by establishing clear rules and giving prisoners something to do to feel that they are rehabilitating in a structured way. If I were in prison I’d take a job, paid or not.

But that wasn’t your point in 1 or the rest so I’m pretty sure you think other way around, no?

>>scyzor+pi1
I do think work is important part to rehabilitation and also meaningful to pass time. Where I have an issue with is as you point out the for-profit nature of prisons. Even in Europe where one might not immediately consider prisons to be for-profit structures, one has inmates assembling ballpoint-pens or assembling low tech items for EUR 5,30 per day. This will ensure the inmate can purchase coffee and chocolates once a fortnight. But it doesn't change their employability after release. Once they get out it is either back to crime, or straight into another state facility (homeless shelter etc). This could be different if the inmate were actually able to save up some money while there. Sure an addict will likely sound it, or they might have a chance to put it into getting help.

There is another more meta aspect to it when considering a facility location. Many times the facility is a small town and then becomes the biggest local employer. Not just for guards but also lawyers, state attorneys, social-workers, judges etc. If that facility closes down it means these people would have to relocate. This is very hard to decouple and untangle.