US inmates go on strike, demand wages and education

Is this from your personal experience?

Yeah being in prison rocks! Everyone's going to want in! It's like as if God put tiny pieces of heaven in cages. I bet you really would like to go to prison huh? No? Then I guess your premise is crap.

Prison is lookin better an better all the time. Internet, cellphones, all the books you can read, work an get paid, schooling
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What's wrong with that ? The vast majority of these people are going to be released one day and the more acquainted they are with the social technologies of today they are, the better chance they have of not becoming repeat offenders.Would you rather they just press license plates for 5 years, come out ill-prepared to compete in society and return to the world of crime ? Prisons are supposed to be as much about reform as they are punishment. You're either a liar, or ignorant or maybe both with you say that prisoners are getting proper medical and dental care.They don't come close to receiving proper care. That's what the strike is all about.There are a lot of people in prison in Georgia for ridiculous crimes. 1 out of 12 people in Georgia are in prison, and 70% of that number are African American.

One of the nice things about Current is that anyone can run their mouth on any thread they choose and they can call it their opinion, even if it is 100% void of any fact whatsoever. That being said, please by all means, continue. Do your thing.

its just a guess.

Whats wrong with that ? you ask. There is no difference between being in Prison and not.Thats whats wrong with it.
Would you rather they just press license plates for 5 years, come out ill-prepared to compete in society and return to the world of crime ? No, Id rather they rebuild New Orleans levy systems, fight in wars, clean up after floods in the midwest, clean up oil spills. That list goes on. Im all about the reform part, education is one of the best ways out of poverty, drugs, etc. Oh an yea, Ive lied at times, Ive been ignorant at times too, just like you, and everyone else.
1 in 12 in prison huh ? Two choices, stop breaking the law, or nullify it. Its just that simple, yet, easier said than done. What does being black have to do with anything.

I'm glad that you're here. Open minds are hard to find on Current.

Thank you. You are very kind.

No foresight which will lead to more and more prisoners and more and more crime.

The foresight doesn't need to be in wages.

What would you like to see happen?

It's better to pay the inmates to encourage work and find a way to rebuild their lives. Alternative is more violence in prisons and more violent crimes when they are released.

...how about adding pedicures and manicures...ah, what the heck, give 'em a wax, I'm feelin' warm & fuzzy...

Even with your caveat, your argument depends fully on the notion that most people in prison are "bad guys" who belong there... that the criminal justice system is always correct... that the form of punishment that Americans came up with is really, truthfully, eternally just and fair. You assume that a system based on punishment rather than rehabilitation is the correct path. I wholeheartedly reject your cold, inhumane assessment of America's prison population and your endorsement of America's prison system.

The number one reason why your opinion is junk is the little fact that America puts more people in prison than any other country on the planet.

Yeah I've heard it's really awesome to be in prison. It's even awesomer to deny their humanity, make fun of them as if they're getting waxes, and generally treat them worse than we treat animals I guess huh?

The way to rebuild their lives is to be decent human beings, use the time they're in jail to realize what they did was wrong and then put some thought into how to fix it. violence is the alternative for idiots. I used to work in juvenile detention centers and with former gang members. some of the most hardened kids, and (granted they were old) adults now had a sense of respect for their and other's lives. they comported themselves as gentlemen and tried to help other people from following a similiar path.

the morons were the ones who were proud of their time and bragged about what badasses they were... and they were eventually the ones to get re-arrested.

why should we pay them in jail? we already pay for their free meals, the clothes on their backs, their free bed and any medical care they get. I don't get any of that free. BUT i don't have to fear for my life and i don't have to get shackled to go eat lunch... so I'll trade the free room and board for my freedom. that's why I don't break laws. they do, so they get that free stuff and for it they only go out for an hour and they do chores for free. what part of jail is supposed to be the punishment if they get fair wages and decent hours and stuff?

...no it doesn't. that's exactly what my caveat does, it establishes thati know not everyone in prison is a 'bad guys.' I never once implied the justice system is always right, in fact i think it's really skewed and messed up most of the time.

...so since your whole first paragraph about what i "imply" is wrong, you can reject my "assessment and endorsement" all you want since I didn't do either.

also, you're rationale on why my opinion is "junk" is the fact that we have more people in jail is just stupid. do you know what you're saying? that's like saying: The reason New York doesn't have tigers and elephants walking around is because the yellow cabs, it's proof! Africa should get some cabs. Correllation is not causation. is that stat per capita? if it isn't, we're more populous than other countries, we have better cops that capture more criminals, we have stricter (stupid too) laws that villify more things that aren't considered bad in other countries... they're plenty of reasons why we have more prisoners than every other country but it's not all just because "it's wrong and unjust."

As for the punishment being just and fair. again, with my caveat that not everyone in jail deserves to be there. the punishment is fair. if not because the crime deserves it, at least because everyone knows the punishent. no one who commits crime thinks they're doing some ok, people who break laws know there's a chance they'll get in trouble for what they're doing, and the rules are already established. that makes them fair, if you don't know the rules and plan on breaking a law, AND you care about your possible punishment maybe you should look up the law.

I'm not remotely against rehabilitation, but I also don't think people need to have their hand held all the way through becoming a better person. people need to be punished for the bad things they do, it's the only real way to deter them from doing it again. fear and pain are the only things are brains care about avoiding. sadness, boredness, desire for better things, hunger, all these unfortunate things can be "thought" away, we can convince ourselves that they weren't that bad, or we can handle it. but if something hurt, or you're scared of it, you'll listen to your instincts and avoid it.

why can't they rehabilitate themselves when they're sitting in their cells? a jail cell seems like rock bottom to me, perfect time to turn things around and become a better person, people need to some personal responsibility for themselves sometimes. I think the only people who need rehabilitation instead of jail time is drug addicts. everyone else can rott, if you're a killer, a rapist, a person who knowingly breaks the laws of the land or hurts people. fuck them, that's in them, there's not much helping them through that. you really think a killer doesn't know killing is wrong?

...people in prison are just not on my radar...I spent Xmas day at a shelter in Sydney, helping feed hundreds who turned up with only the clothes on their back, homeless and lost...I imagine there are a percentage in prisons elsewhere, who are there for ridiculously petty offences, and that is tragic...but not in Australia...

This person who served their time should be able to re-integrate in our society but the way our system currently works especially for males it simply encourages them to go back to crime and prison system again. When a person is released from US prison system he has no money, no home, no job, no skills, no support system to guide him to a better choices and better living, thus the only choice is to return to crime.

Providing pay for work in prison and opportunities to learn some trade there is a huge head start for a better life that benefits the whole society. When the person works in prison he/she makes a plan for the life outside the prison, earning money for the work gives him or her a starting money to rent a home and now they can get a job. Much better outcome for all of us.

You are in Australia? Now that explains your ignorant comments. You are just making a fool of yourself commenting about American judicial system.

"Currently, 1 in 12 adults are in prisons or jails in the State of Georgia." What does that say about our society?

It is not only per capita. We literally have, in real numbers, more prisoners than any other country. We have more prisoners than China.

* America is 5% of Earth's population
* America's prison population is 25% of Earth's prison population.

hahaha thiis your longest troll effort to date... did you write this all in one sitting hahaha

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20012557-504083.html

Shit is fucked up. No amount of pointing fingers is going to fix or heal anything.
I think a lot of what we see, is from the few, who do some heinous shit out of ignorance.
Bigotry exists on both sides. -but it's not from the majority...it's from those few stupid dip-shits, who fuck things up and cause problems.

All I know is racism, in it of itself, is fucking ridiculous, and childish....and ignorant.
The color of your skin does not determine your character. But the words out of your mouth most certainly do.
A person's skin color is also not a "free pass", or an excuse, when it suits someone's specific needs.
If I butt heads with someone, chances are, it's because I don't like their fucking attitude, or appreciate the lack of manners, or basic respect.
If I buy someone a beer, it also has nothing to do with the color of someone's skin.

The color of someone's skin, means the same to me as any other basic characteristic of their body; i.e. like being short, fat, skinny, tall, having small feet, a big nose, glasses, short arms, etc, etc, etc.
-Not really a whole lot can be done to change any of those things. It makes no sense to hate someone for being tall and skinny. ....or any of the combination of the above characteristics. So, is the same for skin color. It just doesn't matter like the media wants us to believe that it does.
They feed off of controversy. It gets them ratings. Don't buy into the bullshit.

Racism is old, and tired.
-and it really just shouldn't matter anymore.

And the only way to truly get rid of it, is through education.

They'd be left to the whim of the upper class. When we take our own power (what you lovingly refer to as statism) away, it is the strongest (wealthiest) among us who are left with all of the power. I'm sure you know this. I'm just stating the obvious.

I understand your shock but I think part of the indication is that many people simply no longer view these non-violent offenders as social pariahs or even people that should be in jail. I think that this strike can have wide public support shows that majority opinion towards the penal system is one of disapproval.

"pumping more money into our education system." You mean like in California where they spend more money per student than any other State and have the worst test scores? Come on, money does not fix the education system you have to come up with something better than that.

Wait, are you advocating that anytime someone breaks a crime they be locked up for life?

Let me know if you feel the same when you or your loved one becomes a victim of our corrupt justice system. It is not if it is when.

I thought it was Texas and Tennessee that had the worst test scores. I think education should get far more money than it is getting - investing in our children is investing for the future.

Don;t get me wrong V, I am a HUGE supporter of Education. The number one cause of crime is poverty, the number one way to alleviate poverty is education. So anyone who TRULY wants to reduce the crime rate would be advocating for more education.

However, the government has enough money to fund education all the way through the graduate level. I will not endorse increasing government revenues for any reason. Not one reason.

Did I say anywhere that someone who breaks the law should be locked up for life...NO! If they hadn't done something to go to jail in the first place then they would have access to all their "demands." And I know the education system needs more than money to make it better, but it's a start...

First of all what? So, if I break the law and just happened to *gasp* have to go to jail then that's corrupt?

but your supporting giving prisoners better health care and education? You don't think that's going to increase govenment revenues?

I was referring to so many bad laws that just make anyone look like a criminal. Hope you never have neighbor who dislikes you.

Nice try, spam-o-matic. Flagged

You have blind trust in our corrupt judicial system

80% of people in prison are there for the wrong reason (eg... smokin a little weed)

i agree but on the other hand they were dumb enough to get caught doing it.

lol and thats why they want an education :D

Agreed

I am also surprised. And where is our main stream media reporting this info? I consider this an important news.

You do know that the majority of prisoners are in prison for non-violent offenses right?

...yes, I just looked up the stats on that, and you're right...I was referring to violent criminals, and I should have stated that more clearly...

I am in agreement with you on that one. Murderers, rapists, child molesters, etc..should never be released and should live in tents and eat peanut butter and jelly.

...I totally object to PB & J...maybe just brussel sprouts...

Brussels sprouts are delicious, they protect the body from cancer, they make you strong and smart... and fart.

Majority of inmates are in prison for non-violent crimes and victimless crimes.

Great comment, I posted my response and then read yours... Obviously we agree on this issue my friend.

Our justice system is broken. Even those who are convicted murderers and rapists may not be guilty after all. Have you heard of Innocence project? There are many more that do not even make the list.

Yes we are. The most frustrating thing is that there is a knee jerk reaction opposing this. The assumption that we are better than those in prison, and the lack of foresight. Without education these parolees WILL commit more crimes, causing a harm to someone in the community, and costing taxpayers MORE money in the long term, per prisoner.

Here is what Scalia thinks of the Death Penalty “This court has never held that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who has had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is ‘actually’ innocent. Quite to the contrary, we have repeatedly left that question unresolved, while expressing considerable doubt that any claim based on alleged ‘actual innocence’ is constitutionally cognizable.”

So true.

Exactly!

Horrific.

No, we have enough mentaly ill murderers there.

I bet you would not comment this way if your loved one was mentally ill. Unfortunately in our great country we treat mentally ill by incarceration. This is just barbaric.

Well at least they will all be in one place.

no we incarcerate the mentally ill to a hospital when they cant take care of themselves or are a danger to themselves and family doesnt want to take care of them. not to mention this isnt even what this discussion is about.

US prisons are full of mentally ill who never get a treatment they need. The mental hospitals do not treat those that need help. You have no idea what you are talking about. I am very familiar with both.

The chances are great you may discover that firsthand as US has the largest incarceration rate in the world.

that is rediculous, this isnt even a race issue. i'm white, grew up in a bad neighborhood, we were poor, i got stuck with a shitty education as a child but you know what, i never broke the law, killed somebody. I never went to prison. this is about people making the wrong decisions in life, not the color of their skin.

Good for you. Unfortunately, not all are blessed with your fortitude.

Taking a look at other prisons world wide...I'de say US prisons treat there prisoners well.

This sort of mentality only creates high rates of recidivism. Is that what you want? Do you honestly think that once someone is a criminal they should be forever punished for it?

Subjectivity is not an excuse.

A great many inmates are citizens who have committed no crime.

The treatment of prisoners in Abu Ghraib was based on the way prisoners are treated in the USA. Prisoners are far better treated in European countries than in the USA. Methinks you really don't know what you're talking about.

Absolutely true!

I totally agree. We (US) should start a scare them straight program. Send them to third world country and have them spend a week in their prison system and then watch them come crawling back with praise for the US prison system.

I think he was referring to those second and third world prisons where your lucky to survive the night, ever watch the show "Locked up Abroad". Of course prisoners in Europe are treated better than in the US, almost everything is better in Europe. Have you also looked at their percentage of violent crimes compared to the amount in the US. We have them beat by a huge amount. Methinks you are confused.

I do not think that once someone has committed a crime they should be punished forever. I do, however, think that they should receive punishment and that it should be somewhat uncomfortable. When I discipline my children it is a tool to learning. It needs to be something that affects them so that the consequences of various actions are undesirable. Why is it any different with adults?

There are programs that work for fending off recidivism and I do not object to those at all. It doesn't mean that they should have access to the amenities that many do not have.

I do not deny that at all, but think that it's a separate issue with a differing resolution (though that is unlikely to happen).

I am not at all confused, methinks you are indulging in wishful thinking.

Those who have real parenting skills never need to discipline their children.