gogo809

Are those private or government prisons?

Edit: actually I have a bunch of questions as this was a topic that came up on Reddit the other day (basically European vs USA prison system). I will ask them in individual topics so the threads stay sane.

I disagree a little. You can get the conservatives on board with a dollars and sense argument. ("You" not going back will save taxpayers money in the long). To the leftists, you just make a "disadvantaged" argument and they should be on board.

I may talk to my congressman about this one. It will solve many problems with one fell swoop.

Hell, if you are within the 5 year window and "you" get popped for something stupid, they may even spring for a high flying lawer to keep you out of the system...

First let us assume there is a problem with our prison system as it stands today. (This is what I personally believe, but I say assume because some will argue that fact.)

I think the problem is there are too many people that end up back in prison after getting out (recitivision rate is high). Did you have access to any programs which would make you more apt to be hired for legitimate work upon release?

I had this thought, the free market system is an amazing tool for arriving at the lowest cost for goods and services, but they often need to be directed if you want a specific outcome. In this case, I want to arrive at the cheapest price point per prisoner which would help keep them from falling into the same "life" which led to their original arrest.
So I want to privatize every prison. Pay them a rate for each prisoner they house like we do now, but beyond that, continue paying them for ex-prisoners after release as if they were still housing and caring for them.

In fact, I would be willing to pay them MORE for the ex-prisoners for up to 5 years after release as long as they don't go back. In this way I believe the free market would be incintivized to provide programs to help re-integrate you into society in a productive way.

What do you think?

Something that if I got caught doing it generally wouldn't mean jail time because I would hire a good lawyer. (I have one already). Most truly victimless crimes fall in this category. Minor possession, public intoxication, etc.

Yeah, but then you literally incintivize people to commit crimes in the first place, we want the opposite. Hell, maybe by offering education programs and the like from prison we will incintivize crime....