Most people don't know that the US Military has specific rules and regulations regarding the use of non-violent, low-risk civilian prison inmates as a labor pool. Here is the documentation:
https://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r210_35.pdf
QUOTE |
Army Regulation 210-35 Installations Civilian Inmate Labor Program Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC 14 January 2005 UNCLASSIFIED Summary. This regulation provides guidance for establishing and managing civilian inmate labor programs on Army installations. It provides guidance on establishing prison camps on Army installations. It addresses record keeping and reporting incidents related to the Civilian Inmate Labor Program and/or prison camp administration. Applicability. This regulation applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard of the United States, and the U.S. Army Reserve unless otherwise stated . During mobilization, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management may modify chapters and policies contained in this regulation. 1-5. Civilian inmate labor programs a. Civilian inmate labor programs benefit both the Army and corrections systems by- (1) Providing a source of labor at no direct labor cost to Army installations to accomplish tasks that would not be possible otherwise due to the manning and funding constraints under which the Army operates. (2) Providing meaningful work for inmates and, in some cases, additional space to alleviate overcrowding in nearby corrections facilities. (3) Making cost-effective use of buildings and land not otherwise being used. |
International Level: Ambassador / Political Participation: 595 59.5%
Personally I don't see or have a problem with the military using civilian prisoners for labor. My philosophy is that more prisoners should be forced to 'earn their keep' so to speak. Too many taxpayer dollars are going into the prison systems to feed, clothe, house and give prisoners 'perks' such as books, crafts, health facilities and more. Prisoners should be forced to pay back society in some way, and if the military has use for them, then so be it.
International Level: Envoy / Political Participation: 241 24.1%
I totally agree with you Malexander, this is really a 'no-brainer'. In my view any person who is incarcerated for any crime has given up his/her civil rights entirely for the duration of their sentence, and as such they should expect to be treated as nothing more than an inconvenience to society.
If the military has a good use for these people, then so be it. In fact if there is any part of society where inmates can be put to use to make a constructive difference, then I'm all for it, as long as the controlling group, be it military or whoever, have the ability to detain and segregate these inmates from society for the correct length of time, then that's a great idea.
MI
I agree, it's a great idea. Our taxpayer dollars pay for housing and feeding these people, so let's put them to work for the betterment of the community or state in which they live -- at the very least to earn their keep! I've always had a problem with paying for these guys or gals to sit on their collective butts and do nothing, while my hard-earned dollars pay for it. Provided that the use doesn't turn into abuse, I'm all for it.
International Level: Ambassador / Political Participation: 595 59.5%