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2 Million people in US Jails how about sending them to Iraq?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/06/prisons/html/nn2page1.stm

The USA has a big prison problem, they also don't have enough troops in Iraq to get the job done properly .. how about killing two birds with 1 stone and offering non violent prisoners in the US who maybe have 3 or 4 years in prison a chance to get out and serve their country and be trained to serve overseas rather then doing nothing in prison?

I'm sure a lot of people in US jails are there in the first place cos they had no discipline, no jobs and so turned to crime, got in with gangs, etc.

Instead of having virtually no future could the unique situation in places like Iraq be a turning point?

I'm sure an additional 500,000 people out of prison in the US and serving overseas would have a huge impact. You can stick GPS trackers on them so they can't just runaway, they can start learning skills, start doing something useful like helping rebuild a country - they don't have to be gun carrying soldiers.

Any thoughts? Just seems to me 2 Million people sitting in jail is a huge waste of humanity.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DG wrote: »
    Any thoughts? Just seems to me 2 Million people sitting in jail is a huge waste of humanity.

    Pennies really considering the operation in Iraq itself.

    Also, you just can't send prisoners overseas to do jobs. They have to be trained first, which also costs money, nevermind the cost of housing and feeding them when they're there. They also do work in prisons and community service also. And if you're thinking about forcing them to go, then you can forget about that too. Bad idea, all in all.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not thinking about forcing them - I think many would be willing volunteers - even if they get out of prison in good time how easy is it going to be for them to find honest work? With a prison record who'd want to hire them?

    This would be a chance for a new beginning for a lot of them. And since they wouldn't be on US soil they're no real danger to the US public. There is already a cost involved in housing and feeding them in prison.

    I'm sure many would jump at the chance to change their lives for the better.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DG wrote: »
    I'm sure many would jump at the chance to change their lives for the better.

    :lol:

    If someone gave me the "opportunity" to go work in Iraq I'd tell them where to go, prisoner or otherwise.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yerascrote wrote: »
    :lol:

    If someone gave me the "opportunity" to go work in Iraq I'd tell them where to go, prisoner or otherwise.

    Well that's the point Iraq is dangerous - so is some prisons..

    If someone is faced with say 5 more years in prison vs 2 or 3 years service in Iraq and then being released after being shown they can function in society in some useful manner they might just be interested.

    I bet out of 2 Million people you'd find at least 5% would be interested - that's 100,000 people.

    100,000 extra people in Iraq working on reconstruction, building schools and hospitals along side locals could be a huge difference.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DG wrote: »
    Well that's the point Iraq is dangerous - so is some prisons..

    If someone is faced with say 5 more years in prison vs 2 or 3 years service in Iraq and then being released after being shown they can function in society in some useful manner they might just be interested.

    I bet out of 2 Million people you'd find at least 5% would be interested - that's 100,000 people.

    100,000 extra people in Iraq working on reconstruction, building schools and hospitals along side locals could be a huge difference.

    100,000 idiots then. Iraq is a much more dangerous place than prison, all that shit you see on T.V. doesn't happen in most prisons. And even in prisons where there are gangs, they're segregated.

    Again, it will cost them the same amount of money to get them working than it does to keep them in prison. I can see your point but it just doesn't seem right to me, it's those in power playing on vulnerable people to get them to do their work for them. Bang out of order if you ask me.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    A state forcing its own citizens to either fight in its own fuck up or be locked in a cell because they probably did something like sell drugs or steal something. Real nice suggestion.

    America's prison population could easily be decreased by releasing drug offenders, non-violent criminals and having sensible sentences rather than the 403958340958734587 year consective sentences for something like fraud or making bent copys of CDs.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not for forcing anyone into something like this - but I bet if you offered them a choice you'd get plenty of takers - plus they'd be well motivated cos their alternative is going back to prison.

    Say for every day they worked in Iraq they got 2 days off their remaining sentence - so if they had 6 years left to run in prison they could be free in 3 years.

    I bet if someone could get out 3 years earlier that would be motivation enough.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You really think someone who's doing 5 years for tax evasion is gonna risk going to Iraq for 2 and a half years just to cut their sentence? Wishful thinking, the only thing this will appeal to is people who are in for stuff like murder or rape or on death row and it's never really safe to let them out anyway so it's no brainer.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Given the number of incidents of abuse, rape, torture and killing commited by soldiers who weren't convicted criminals, do you think it's a good idea to send some who are to Iraq?

    Pity the poor Iraqis.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Who said anything about letting out murderers?

    Post number 1 said Non Violent prisoners
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Still prisoners, still wrongdoers, people who will have hardened up by life inside a US prison.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Exactly - most of them are getting out one day - straight out of prison - with no skills, no experience who'd hire them - they'd be more likely to turn to crime

    Plus you can get the first timers before they get hardened to prison life.

    Give them some discipline and a purpose and you might just find their lives turn around.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DG wrote: »
    Exactly - most of them are getting out one day - straight out of prison - with no skills, no experience who'd hire them - they'd be more likely to turn to crime

    Plus you can get the first timers before they get hardened to prison life.

    Give them some discipline and a purpose and you might just find their lives turn around.

    So you expect these people to go straight to Iraq and start building schools and hospitals? It takes about 3 years of training before you become fully qualified to do stuff like that.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Depends on what building techniques you use (see dome structure below) - and no I would expect them to work along side qualified people - but you don't need 3 years of training to work on a building site or fetch and carry things.

    We're not talking about working in the UK with it's 1 million health and safety rules, we're talking about a unique situation and unique way of approaching it with possible solutions.

    Not everyone in the world is in an equal position, not everyone has the same opportunities. This would be a chance to offer a new opportunity to certain people who would otherwise have very little opportunity.

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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Perhaps I'm a cynic but I reckon they would be far more trigger happy than regular soldiers.

    In any case I wouldn't want to see that move implemented. The more stretched the US army is, the smaller the chance of further imperialistic crusades elsewhere.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    lol you want to let a bunch of prisoners loose in iraq, am i hearing that right?

    yeah um, they'll help restore law and order and um, win hearts and minds haha c'mon man it wouldn't work.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sounds like a return to the days of the Black and Tans. Its a terrible idea. Apart from anything else, why take non-violent prisoners, give them military training, (ie train them to kill), and then release them into society? It would cause more problems than it solved.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I am confused, why is the topic focussed the US and not the UK. We have the overcrowded prisons and troops in Iraq/Afghanistan. :confused: This site does get a little America obsessed at times.

    My question is DG if you were facing a conviction for a non-violent offence and the choice of jail or HM Forces which would you take?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Before I got into trouble I was looking at joining the army so if it had of been an option for me when going to court I would have gone for it over YOI any day.

    It's still something I want to do but I can't join up now because of my record and the sentence I got. Can apply again in a couple of years but not sure if I'd still want to then.
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