[IgnoranceIsBliss]

I started thinking about this situation a few days ago after my husband watched some show on TV called "Lockup Raw" about life inside the US prison system. We are spending countless billions to keep millions of people locked up. How long can states continue to afford these expenses?

From what I saw on these shows, many of the inmates are just sick excuses for human beings who will never be able to rejoin society and be productive. (some of the attacks that were carried out against the guards made me want to throw up) The sheer brutality of some of these people is shocking.

Like others have said, the times ahead may call for tough choices indeed. Feeding prisioners is going to fall to the bottom of the list. I venture to say that the average American will quickly warm to the idea that we have to terminate some prisoners if the alternative is to release them onto the streets.

So my answer is I would hope we can find a way to keep you employed. These kind of monsters cannot function in society and the thought of releasing them makes me sick, as I have two small children and I'm a woman. (vulnerable population groups) I don't think the idea of some kind of farming operation is going to work. It would require too much supervision and end up costing more money than it generates. I think the only alternative will come down to release or terminate.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', 'W')hen Reagan put the Criminally Insane back out on the streets in the 80s, who would have thought they would become Wall Street Bankers?

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

I think long before you face this question you will see a lot of other people released from minimum and then even more max type jails. The criminally insane as you know are a totally different breed. These are the last that would be let out... if ever.
In your post you pointed out that many are so bad they are kept beyond the expiration of their sentences. When you are dealign with people like that, the average person has no clue and can't speak except on a theoretical basis as to whether these people should ever see the light of day.

If the collapse is as clsoe as we think it is, TPTB are going to have a hard enough time with those who are out there already. To unleash these kinds on society is asking for total anarchy, normal citizens would start shooting people who knock on their doors out of fear.

I don't think yours will ever get out and anyone who thinks they should is a naive child who has no idea what you are dealing with.

[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('uNkNowN ElEmEnt', 'I') think long before you face this question you will see a lot of other people released from minimum and then even more max type jails. The criminally insane as you know are a totally different breed. These are the last that would be let out... if ever.
In your post you pointed out that many are so bad they are kept beyond the expiration of their sentences. When you are dealign with people like that, the average person has no clue and can't speak except on a theoretical basis as to whether these people should ever see the light of day.
If the collapse is as clsoe as we think it is, TPTB are going to have a hard enough time with those who are out there already. To unleash these kinds on society is asking for total anarchy, normal citizens would start shooting people who knock on their doors out of fear.
I don't think yours will ever get out and anyone who thinks they should is a naive child who has no idea what you are dealing with.

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

Precisely. Thanks for making it clearer.

[Sixstrings]

I ran across an interesting statistic the other day. During the Great Depression, admissions to state mental asylums went up 300%.

[vtsnowedin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', 'I') ran across an interesting statistic the other day. During the Great Depression, admissions to state mental asylums went up 300%.

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

Although I can't cite actual statistics, I found personally that the count at our jail went up seasonally. For instance the winter season (closer to xmas) brought in another 50% of the population, cause they knew if they did something and got caught they'd get to ride out the winter with three square meals a day in relative comfort and warmth.

and that is during normal economic conditions... can you imagine what might be coming next year or the year after?

Of course our suicide rate was the worst during this time too. but it was nothing to have your whole unit double bunked with people sleeping on matts on the floor.

i often wondered what would happen. if we threatened to go on strike, the government had plans for the swat team to come in and do our jobs with the jail on full lock down... but what if the guards just didn't show up? they CAN'T let inmates out without someone really high up making the call. and you know how political they are.

I often felt taht they would jsut keep things locked down and put the inmates on rations etc. and when things ran out.... they ran out.