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.
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!
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.
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 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.
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