From: Michael S. Lorrey (mike@datamann.com)
Date: Thu Apr 20 2000 - 18:20:35 MDT
QueeneMUSE@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 4/20/2000 4:17:13 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> mike@datamann.com writes:
>
> >
> > I'm kinda siding with Nadia on this one. Many prisons already have gyms,
> and
> > they do get used. Why not make the exercise machines such that the energy
> > expended is put to some use, since its already being expended anyways. Put
> > an
> > incentive on it, make each kWh generated worth x amount of time off their
> > sentence...heck I bet the prison system could produce some Tour de France
> > winners after a few years...
> >
>
> Thanks, Mike.
> First of all, it was a comedian who suggested it, it ain't gonna happen for
> numerous reasons, most of them Politically Correct "rights" of the guys,
> which I won't fight anyway.. slavery is illegal, even for convicts. There's
> historical precedent for that law.
Hey, they get 20 cents an hour, so its not slavery, and anyways, you can pay them
all you want so long as their pay gets garnished to fund the state Victim's Fund,
so they are just paying off restitution.
> Who gives a good goddamn if some nerd think it's not going to pay out,
> dollarwise. Do inmates weigh out dollar wise these days? Gimme a break. It
> costs almost 50,000 dollars a year per death row inmate or some such
> nonsense. (my source is dubious it's from Ice -T's book but it wouldn't
> surprise me if it was true).
> Harvard costs less!
Harvard is also far more discriminating in who it allows to go there....you pay
them to go there. Jail is free for the convict.
>
> The most important thing is, making guys ride a bike a huge pain in the ass,
> and those guys are so lazy. And if it generates power or runs the TV's or
> whatever, it's making them useful -- which is what most of them lack anyway
> -- a purpose.
Hitching the bikes up to the TV is a good idea, take advantage of, and help
manipulate the prison pecking order. The bullies will make the wimps ride the
bikes so the bullies can watch tv, then the wimps will get more fit than the
bullies and will kick their asses and make them ride the bikes....;)
>
>
> Listen, If they knew that instead of hanging' with the homey's trading
> cigarettes and candy bars and getting in fights, that it'd be some kind of
> endless bike marathon, prison would not hold the appeal that it does. I'm
> serious, guys are lazy!
And if you make them wear pink leotards while they are doing it, they'll like it
even less... ;)
>
>
> And it does hold appeal, believe me. Brought into a world that is racist,
> hostile towards illiterate and poor youth (of any race) - where the best job
> you can hope to get might be some kind of fast food so you can work your
> whole life to open up your own business reupholstering or cleaning houses,
> BUT where the MOST likely outcome is being shot on the street (either by the
> cops or by some other bored kid) jail holds a kind of security. You don't
> get shot in jail, usually. And you get fed.
> Plus talk about having no self responsibility! They tell you when to eat,
> when to shower, when to go to the bathroom...
> No one would admit to wanting to be in jail, but the guys I work with have
> dads in there, and they are pretty darn comfortable with the idea of
> seventeen years to life.
Actually, I'd giver prisoners a choice: go to school or ride the bikes... you'd
see some studious convicts really fast...
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