S8: Free Range Prison Act

[NeverAgain]

Okay, in the hopes that this is a joke, please stop this. Otherwise: I am a HUGE supporter of rehabilitation. This is not rehabilitation. This is buying up land the size of Connecticut, building a WestWorld type encampment, and then gearing them up for "survival". This is the plot of a reality TV show, not a governmental policy.

Addressing this, as if it was real, let's talk cost. So let's assume this is a 5,000 mi^2 square. That's a perimeter of about 280mi. Okay, so then going on to the fence. If we are abiding by a 50ft high, and 6ft thick wall all around, multiplied by the perimeter's length (1,478,400 ft), that's a wall volume of: 443,520,000 ft^3 (I wish I had an exponent key, apologies). For reference, let's look at the wall that Trump is proposing, or at least an idea of what he's proposing: a 40-foot-tall, 7-foot-deep, 10-inch-thick, and 1,000-mile-long. Just going on that, that's a volume of 206,799,999 ft^3. Less than half of what this proposal would do. The proposal I just presented, as studied by the research group Bernstein found that a conservative estimate of this wall would cost roughly $20B, not counting labor costs, land acquisition costs, and maintenance. Going by that standard, for just building the surrounding wall, it will cost roughly $43B.

Now, I don't claim to be a numbers expert, but going on the basis of cost benefit - I don't see how creating a WestWorld type encampment for prisoners is anywhere near worth $43B. I will get into the fallacies of logistics tomorrow, if needed, but I will just state that the estimated maintenance of JUST Trump's wall (none of the border control costs, etc.) is estimated to be an $750M annually. Make that about $1.6B for this here.

I do not feel comfortable in any circumstance spending tens of billions of taxpayer money so that we can give inmates a Hunger Games like, survival experience. While there are so many more issues that we need to reform in our criminal justice system, a lack of ability for prisoners to kill each other is not one of them.

My sincere hope is that this is just a joke, and we can get to the serious legislation soon in our short lives.

[NeverAgain]

I will point out, that with Labor fees, management, and other building costs (adding an extra 4-5 B, according to a Rutgers study on costs of all prisoner confinement programs), and still not including the cost of the land. This will cost upwards of $50B, which is about $300 for every Southern person. The costs entirely outway the benefits. And I won't even get into the windfall this would give the contractor of the program.

No matter the scale, I still feel very uncomfortable wasting taxpayer money on a Hunger Games type program for our criminals. If we want to talk real criminal justice reform, let's do expand prisoners' access to mental healthcare, rehabilitation programs (which may include survival skills), and of course increased outdoor access. We also need to look banning solitary confinement, a practice which is entirely ineffective and is counter-intuitive as studies show it actually increases aggressiveness, exacerbates mental health problems, and is entirely inhumane.

On the issue of giving skills to prisoners, who do not get them as they are locked in a cell. My great aunt, who lives in West Virginia, was very involved in some of the Criminal Justice Reform programs proposed in that state. Things like expanding access to basic skills like cooking, wellness, and I would assume basic survival skills (not like hunting to kill bears, but things you would actually need after you get out of prison, if you're not Bear Grylls.) It was EXTREMELY successful, I hear. And I think it would be great to do here.

Anyways my biggest things to build on this bill, instead of passing this, and for criminal justice reform would be as follows:

1. Banning Solitary Confinement
2. Ban the private prison monstrosity
3. Promote "job entry" programs for inmates
4. Establish new skills programs for inmates
5. Include the idea of "labor points," make it similar to the way that prisoners can make money currently.
6. Expand outdoor access for prisoners
7. Expand access for prisoners to received mental health assistance

These are my ideas, but I'd to hear thoughts. As it stands, I will not be able to support this Hunger-Gamesesque type survival arena for prisoners. I feel it both takes away their dignity, and our, collective Southern morality. And is a silly idea.