Department of Corrections: Is It Wrong?

[Squilly]

The Department of Corrections. We all know it as jail/prison. Before I get all the hate, this doesn't include murderers. Let's use... Scammers. Say a scammer gets caught. They've profited $50,000 scamming innocent people. He is sent to jail for a certain period of time and is let out after he "served".
Isn't the department supposed to correct the public? The way I see it, it's a way to make money. Look at the CCA. They're a business. Prisoners are given a price tag and are used for profits in the company. Back to the scammer. Say he rehabilitated himself and proved he was better. His sentence was 20 years, he got better in 5 years. He's still incarcerated for 15 years before he can get out of the walls (with the exception of parole and escapists). Do you believe this is wrong or corrupt? I do...

[Mac'nCheese]

Are you seriously asking if having jails are wrong?

[Squilly]

Originally Posted by Mac'nCheese

Are you seriously asking if having jails are wrong?

Yes. To an extent.

[rdowns]

I move we rename PRSI to Politics, Religion, Squilly Issues

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

Originally Posted by Squilly

The Department of Corrections. We all know it as jail/prison. Before I get all the hate, this doesn't include murderers. Let's use... Scammers. Say a scammer gets caught. They've profited $50,000 scamming innocent people. He is sent to jail for a certain period of time and is let out after he "served".
Isn't the department supposed to correct the public? The way I see it, it's a way to make money. Look at the CCA. They're a business. Prisoners are given a price tag and are used for profits in the company. Back to the scammer. Say he rehabilitated himself and proved he was better. His sentence was 20 years, he got better in 5 years. He's still incarcerated for 15 years before he can get out of the walls (with the exception of parole and escapists). Do you believe this is wrong or corrupt? I do...

I'm really not sure what you are asking.

[Peace]

Let all the potheads out and there won't be a problem.

[Mac'nCheese]

Originally Posted by Squilly

Yes. To an extent.

OK. I don't think so. I think they are necessary and sometimes, bad things happen to good people when things go wrong and innocent people are sent to jail or someone gets too long a sentence.

[RedCroissant]

Originally Posted by Squilly

The Department of Corrections. We all know it as jail/prison. Before I get all the hate, this doesn't include murderers. Let's use... Scammers. Say a scammer gets caught. They've profited $50,000 scamming innocent people. He is sent to jail for a certain period of time and is let out after he "served".
Isn't the department supposed to correct the public? The way I see it, it's a way to make money. Look at the CCA. They're a business. Prisoners are given a price tag and are used for profits in the company. Back to the scammer. Say he rehabilitated himself and proved he was better. His sentence was 20 years, he got better in 5 years. He's still incarcerated for 15 years before he can get out of the walls (with the exception of parole and escapists). Do you believe this is wrong or corrupt? I do...

It is not corrupt per se, but there are things that need to be addressed in order to not only maintain the feasibility of the prison system, but also to the extent that instead of incarceration until the inmate "gets better", a newer system needs to be put into place that affects that change systematically.

The problem with your argument regarding CCA is that the CCA is a private corporation that contracts with the government and manages the prisons that they build. However, they are still subject to the same legal system that the prisons built by the states and federal government are; the management itself however is taken care of by the company. There are also very strict guidelines that a government contractor must meet in order to maintain their status as a contractor. For example, staff must undergo certain types of training and for required number of hours and receive certifications to continue their employment. Guards and others that will be in direct contact with inmates must have official and recognized training and certification to work with them and also to carry firearms(which they must receive from the government). SO yes, the CCA is a business and they are in it to make a profit; but that does not necessarily mean that their position in this is immoral or wrong, it just means that they have found a way to profit(legally) from crime.

Although not related, the DOD contracts with private businesses to build housing on all of the bases around the world and the housing(at least on US bases) is pretty nice and better than what the government would be able to provide utilizing the construction battalions and rates within the military. This is not due to an inability; just that there aren't enough construction rates available for the demand of housing. The only issue I have noticed where this relationship becomes problematic is in regard to payment of rent for these homes. For some reason, the contract allows for the collection of a service member's full housing allowance for rent on a monthly basis. Sure, it sound reasonable initially, but the disparity in housing allowance across the DOD pay-scale can be stark and therefore the contractors are collecting different amounts of rent for the exact same floor plan. For example, if you're an E-5(with dependents) living on base housing in Maryland, your housing allowance is $1,908. And the contractor will make the $1,908 the rent for a typical 2bed/2bath home. Now if you're an O-3(with dependents), your housing allowance is $2,418, and the contractor will collect that entire amount for the same 2bed/2 bath home which might even be right next door to the E-5.

Anyway, I'm going to stop it there because this will turn into a novel.