[$tinkle]

here in colorado, we have some of the toughest illegal immigrant laws, and has resulted in closing up shop for a few businesses, especially ranches out east. here's a solution that looks win/win/win:

• farmers pay the same for inmates as they would for illegal immigrants
• prisoners actually get to work off their time (not just rot away or pick up new "skillz")
• opportunity for proper skill to plug into local economy & retain dignity for prisoners
• they'll have a few bucks in their pocket when they get released

Farms get help from inmates

lawyers to screw up this great idea for everyone in 3...2...1...

 

[Silver]

It's another farmer subsidy. Why shouldn't Wal-Mart get the same cheap labor pool to work from?

 

[valve bouncer]

First crim that rapes granma rather than fixing fences and it'll be all over.A good plan though worth perservering with.

 

[LordOpie]

Great idea. An ex-con that leaves prison with some money saved up is probably less likely to commit another crime. Just a guess.

 

[ATOMICFIREBALL]

Sounds like a great idea !

 

[$tinkle]

It's another farmer subsidy. Why shouldn't Wal-Mart get the same cheap labor pool to work from?

friend of mine owns cherry creek growers (hydro-ponix) & wal-mart is indeed one of their clients. i think this plan should span all strata of businesses & be an example of other industries.

of course, there's going to be unexpected consequences, and corruption will no doubt quickly reveal. e.g., farmer needs more hands & so hires roscoe p. coaltrain to pinch someone w/o prob cause.

idea isn't all that original: it's just a natural progression from chain gangs & other cool hand luke plots. i wonder how prison sex & gay pr0n will keep pace.

 

[Silver]

So then, you'd like to **** over the average worker with low wages via prison labor instead of illegal immigrants?

Yeah, that plan is going to go over well with the middle class...

 

[$tinkle]

So then, you'd like to **** over the average worker with low wages via prison labor instead of illegal immigrants?

they're avg for plenty of reasons. capitalism, 'tang, & fear are the 3 best motivators. again, prison sex & gay pr0n will never be the same.

embrace our future!

 

[fluff]

Is this forced labour? Is this one more step toward the fourth reich?

 

[ohio]

Is this forced labour? Is this one more step toward the fourth reich?

It doesn't have to be... You select an eligible prison population (good behavior, etc.) and make it an available option to them. Given it's paid work and not sitting in a cell 23 hours/day, I suspect many will take that option.

The state should be paid minimum wage plus the overhead for guards/foremen. The inmates should be credited a percentage of that given their room/board is covered, and certainly more than if you deducted the true cost of imprisonment.

It does amount to government subsidy of select industries, which we've got far bigger farm-subsidy fish to fry than that one.

 

[$tinkle]

Is this forced labour?

no
"The inmates who volunteered to work on the farm said it isn't easy work, but it offers many solutions to their own problems at prison."

Is this one more step toward the fourth reich?

north korea.
exactly the same.

 

[jimmydean]

I think this is an awesome idea.

Don't they have something like this in Canada? If I recall, there was a dairy in Canada the was run by prisoners. They earned an "OK" wage, and a percentage of that went to room/board/restitution, the rest went to a savings account. I saw it on TLC/Discovery or something.

 

[$tinkle]

when i got popped for minor offenses back in the 80's i was sentenced to doing various things for the state, including mowing grass, picking up trash, & cleaning public bldgs under the guidelines of "community service".

only difference is private enterprise, but as already pointed out, gov't subsidized.

 

[$tinkle]

another use for criminals: "More entering Army with criminal records"

outstanding

 

[jimmydean]

another use for criminals: "More entering Army with criminal records"

outstanding

They have been doing that with the National Guard for years now.

I went on an AWOL pickup once and the dude was leaving his house when he dropped a bag of meth out of his pocket. He paused, looked down, looked at the officer (it was a Sheriff with us), then said "Oh, that sh!t aint mine" and kept walking as if nothing had happened.

After going to jail for being AWOL and drug possession, he was NOT discharged from the Guard. They wrote him a waiver and he promised to refrain from drug use in the future.

It was awesome.

 

[dhbuilder]

Is this forced labour? Is this one more step toward the fourth reich?

spare us the knee jerk liberalisms.

they're frikken law breakers who are sitting on their asses in prison, on my tax dollars.
i say put them in a field with big rocks and a sledge hammer.
then tell em to make little rocks out of the big ones.
and if they turn on each other with the aforementioned sledge hammers......... oh well.

given the chioce, i'd say they much rather work the fields for a few dollars a day.

if they'd learned a work ethic to begin with, they wouldn't find themselves incarcerated.

 

[fluff]

Pah, only one big fish. Waste of bait.