Basically what the person said. Most of our jailbirds either work on the park with mowing and cleaning up or the crew that goes to businesses and pick up cardboard and other recyclable items do it because it pays for their stay and gives them something to do outside of the cell rooms.
Its interesting talking to some of them while they come to where I work.
Aren't most of us "slaves" though to some extent?
I don't know too many people who like to get up on a cold winter's morning, stumble out to their freezing car, drive to their job and work eight hours, five days a week.
Why do people do it? Because they are forced to financially.
Anyways this was in the article
Darling said the Bristol County program is limited to nonviolent inmates near the end of their sentences. It is voluntary, but Darlin said prisoners often view it as an opportunity to avoid a jail cell all day while learning a skill.
I think our disagreement was over compensation for their work.
If I read you correctly you seem to think what they are currently being paid for working in the kitchen, etc is too low, while I think it is fine if you factor in their total compensation package.
Curious though, what hourly wage do you think prisoners should earn for the typical work they do while in prison?
prisoners doing it seems fine.
prisoners work for cheap, i think its like 8 cents an hour? so its less on costs. it would take some jobs away from construction crews but maybe they could do other jobs or just work on another area?
if i was stuck in a cell all day i might enjoy working outside building the wall.
Last edited by announced; 2017-01-07 at 02:43 AM.
There is little to no room for unskilled labor in modern public construction. A backhoe can do the job that will take 4 people a whole day in one scoop. A ditch witch trencher can dig a trench faster than any 100 people. You can do 300 feet of 12 feet deep by 10 feet wide trench in solid rock with dexpan in one day.
Most public work construction companies capable of doing projects of this magnitude are either union shop or union signatory.
Then there is the matter of safety. A construction site is a dangerous place. Even for people that want to be there. Untrained worker with “I don't give a damn” attitude is a danger not only to himself, but also to the people around him.
Finally, think of liability. What insurance company would want to offer workmans comp and general liability insurance for a project with unskilled convicts as workers.
Usually these programs that have prisoners working offer implicit "Good behavior" points (like working in the prison library), and do pay a little bit. However, the amount is much below minimum wage which doesn't apply to prison labor.
If prisoners, even if its only a few, can be put in a controlled situation where they can pick up some job skills its a great idea. OF course you'd have to make the program voluntary.
I don't have a problem with this, as long as they are actually volunteering. Gives them something to do.
Forced labour isn't slavery
What world do you live in?
Also, yes. Thats JUST what America needs. Railways across the country? Nah. Reliable public transport? Nah. Health care? Nah.
What America needs is a badly built, probably 5 meter high wall that will take a decade or two to complete and do utterly nothing.
These people dig fucking tunnels hundreds of meters through the ground to get into America. Do you think they can't cross a small wall?
Or are we seriously suggesting the wall is going to be some fucking 20 meter high piece of shit?
Wouldn't it be better to get a company (or several) to do it, boost the building economy a bit (maybe even get some jobs going for a number of years) and also ensure that it is actual quality work that gets done?
I mean the wall is meant to keep out people that make the work market suffer by offering an even lower wage and pay, and this would essentially amount to the same thing.
If slavery is back. I can live a long dead dream of being an 18th century plantation owner. White suit and all.
What a time to be alive.
Also, I hope they make Prison Break 2 about these workers.
I don't have a problem with this, even if they are forced to.
You know I wonder how these people would react if they were wrongfully convicted (Happens way too often at least 10-15% of the time.) and were forced into these hard labour events with the punishment along the lines of Orlong suggested of a month in solitary if they refused.