Prison Farms?

[Southeast US]

Jurisdiction

US Federal Law

Why did Prison Farms or Hard Labor punishment stop in the US and is there anything on the books that is preventing it for being implemented again?

Surprisingly, I recently learned of a prison farm in Louisiana. That was interesting.

 

[army judge]

Why did Prison Farms or Hard Labor punishment stop in the US and is there anything on the books that is preventing it for being implemented again?

Surprisingly, I recently learned of a prison farm in Louisiana. That was interesting.

Prison farms exist in several states.

The farms exist to teach farming, agricultural, and livestock skills to inmates.

As regards hard labor, sometimes confused with forced labor, that topic could be headed for a Supreme Court review.

The recent election saw the issue addressed by voters in five states.

No prisoner is forced to work today.

Prisoners are incentivized to work.

Is 'convict labor' a form of slavery? Five states face ballot vote.

Military members convicted by courts martial are an exception, because our military operates under it's own criminal code, "Uniform Code of Military Justice".

Convicted military personnel ARE confined to hard labor.

Home

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Obviously, there is no such federal law on the books because it is still legal and happens in many states. But the prison system seems to have decided that hard labor isn't effective.

Considering how the civil rights crowd complains about even the paid labor prisoners do it doesn't surprise me that they've decided it just isn't worth the hassle.

Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers | News & Commentary | American Civil Liberties Union.

 

[Southeast US]

It may be worth the "hassle" now. We have a big gun violence problem here now in the US. Too many prisons today are a little too much like "country clubs". If a 5 1/2 day week of hard labor is implemented some may think twice about pulling a trigger. Work farms will not only feed the prisoners, but could contribute to other government programs.

Thoughts and comments are welcome.

 

[Southeast US]

Captive Labor: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers | News & Commentary | American Civil Liberties Union.

Appreciate the link and I will read it as time allows. But funny ACLU was mentioned. They are the first group I thought of when thinking of the opposition.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Appreciate the link and I will read it as time allows. But funny ACLU was mentioned. They are the first group I thought of when thinking of the opposition.

They should always be the first group thought of when one is talking about concern for those that don't deserve such concern.

 

[Tax Counsel]

Too many prisons today are a little too much like "country clubs".

I generally hear that kind of comment from people who have never been in a real state or federal prison. I've had to go to some prisons on occasions to interview prisoners as part of my work for the IRS. They were not nice places to be and nothing close to a "country club". Ask to spend a weekend in a state medium security prison and then afterward tell me if you think that's what a country club is like.

 

[Southeast US]

I generally hear that kind of comment from people who have never been in a real state or federal prison. I've had to go to some prisons on occasions to interview prisoners as part of my work for the IRS. They were not nice places to be and nothing close to a "country club". Ask to spend a weekend in a state medium security prison and then afterward tell me if you think that's what a country club is like.

I know there are variations and of course I was only making a point, but compared to an old fashion Prison Farm or Chain Gang, there sure is a difference.

I worked with a guard once who was pretty disgusted with their favorable treatment. Also have a friend who lives in a prison town. He said that many times when a prisoners time is just about up, they will do something on purpose to get themselves able stay in there.

That does not sound like a punishment to me.

By the way, is the system we have now working?

 

[Tax Counsel]

IBy the way, is the system we have now working?

Making the prison living conditions even harsher isn't going to have the effect that you want.

That does not sound like a punishment to me.

Most prisons are not like what your friend described and few prisoners (apart from some with serious mental issues) want to be in prison.

We don't have to make prisons a hell hole to work. Indeed, that approach doesn't work well. You only end up with more violent prisoners coming out when they get released. Rather we need to do more to break the gang presence in prisons and offer prisoners the opportunity to get skills they'll need to keep them straight once they get out.

 

[Southeast US]

My original post, as more explained in my post #4, is to stop or at least try to stop the gun violence out there. If the law breakers end up doing hard labor and either word gets around or better still if they visit their friends there, they may just think twice before pulling the trigger. I am pro-gun, but equally if not more so anti-crime.

Too many out there are thinking with their finger instead of their brains. I believe a Prison Farm could cure that.

I'm also all for education in prison, but why not have both. Maybe one week on and one week off.

I'm am also open to other ideas to help stop the crime. Right now everyone is just sitting on their hands and nothing is working. It's getting worse instead of better. We need to try something.

If I were in power to do so, I would be building a large scale, well run prison farms somewhere on fertile ground in a favorable climate. While it was being built, I would run commercials on TV stating "Will This Be Your Next Home"? We need to get some attention out there.

Also as mentioned earlier, at the same time they would be helping to earn their keep.

Worrying about prisoners being more violent when released is silly. With strict probation just put them back in once they prove otherwise.

As mentioned, if someone has a better idea, please post.

 

[Southeast US]

Making the prison living conditions even harsher isn't going to have the effect that you want.

Not necessarily "harsher" but harder. I'm a firm believer in work. Work can can have amazing results. Idle time is a negative.

 

[Southeast US]

Rather we need to do more to break the gang presence in prisons and offer prisoners the opportunity to get skills they'll need to keep them straight once they get out.

Sounds good and I'm all for that, but how will that quickly stop the present gun violence out there?

 

[army judge]

Sounds good and I'm all for that, but how will that quickly stop the present gun violence out there?

People appear to have lost sight of the goal.

Violence isn't just committed with a firearm.

Violence is the issue, not firearms.

If all firearms were somehow reclaimed from all those who own a firearm, don't delude yourself into thinking humans would suddenly become pacified, docile critters.

The human being species is inclined to behave savagely, beastly, violently.

Firearms won't suddenly start killing anything.

The killing begins when a firearm ends up in the hands of a human being.

It isn't just firearms that kill.

Humans have knives, poison, automobiles, addictive substances, hallucigenic substances, etc...

Most humans beings are equipped with a short temper and a violent nature.

 

[Southeast US]

People appear to have lost sight of the goal.

Violence isn't just committed with a firearm.

Violence is the issue, not firearms.

If all firearms were somehow reclaimed from all those who own a firearm, don't delude yourself into thinking humans would suddenly become pacified, docile critters.

The human being species is inclined to behave savagely, beastly, violently.

Firearms won't suddenly start killing anything.

The killing begins when a firearm ends up in the hands of a human being.

It isn't just firearms that kill.

Humans have knives, poison, automobiles, addictive substances, hallucigenic substances, etc...

Most humans beings are equipped with a short temper and a violent nature.

Totally agree, but Firearms seems to be the current choice of violence lately. It's just about exploding nation wide. That's why I am concentrating on Firearms. I am for stopping and punishing all crime, but the evildoers are giving us a category to work on.

 

[Southeast US]

To add a little extra, the Liberals want to take Firearms away. That is there choice of how to handle it. That is not only against the 2nd Amendment, but it also punishes the law abiding citizen.

My way punishes the criminal.

 

[adjusterjack]

how will that quickly stop the present gun violence out there?

Quickly?

Not gonna happen. Locking up criminals and crazies after they have committed mayhem doesn't work. Making them work harder isn't going to help. Restricting gun ownership isn't going to work. Might as well work on finding a cure for poverty that contributes to crime on one level of society and greed which contributes to crime on another level of society.

The human being species is inclined to behave savagely, beastly, violently.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Southeast US]

Quickly?

Not gonna happen. Locking up criminals and crazies after they have committed mayhem doesn't work. Making them work harder isn't going to help. Restricting gun ownership isn't going to work. Might as well work on finding a cure for poverty that contributes to crime on one level of society and greed which contributes to crime on another level of society.

Your opinion.

I dis-agree.

Let me ask this. What would be the harm in trying?

Here is a rough idea on how to tackle the Gun Violence problem we have here in the US:

-Any Gun fired in a prohibited area (city, town limits, restricted areas, etc) by mistake, would be charged with a $500 Fine.

-Any Gun aimed at someone and fired, would be an automatic 2 years at the prison farm.

-Any Gun fired and hitting someone (grazed, but not injured) would have 10 years at the prison farm.

-Any Gun fired and injuring someone, 20 years at the prison farm.

-Any Gun fired and killing someone, life imprisonment at the prison farm.

 

[cbg]

We're not the ones you have to convince. You want to see a change in the system, contact your Congressman. They can do something about it. We can't.

 

[Southeast US]

We're not the ones you have to convince. You want to see a change in the system, contact your Congressman. They can do something about it. We can't.

Good reply. But I am already one step ahead of that. I contacted my Virginia State Congressman also on Friday morning. I also have copied and pasted my reply to have handy to contact others if necessary. But this Congressman is known to get back to people.

In the meantime, I was asking about the legality of it, which I received good answers on. In the meantime of that, I just simply replied to those that have challenged my intentions.

 

[Southeast US]

They can do something about it. We can't.

Actually you can. If you agree that something needs to be done about the overwhelming Gun Violence out there, you can contact your own Congressmen.