[Sir Taliesin]

Originally posted by Yorick: quote: Originally posted by Maelakin: Lets be realistic. Prisoners cost us money, dead guys don't. Kill them all, cigarettes are getting expensive. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

It costs money to excecute people.

In any case, turn it around. Put lifers into work that benefits society. Societies of old made prisoners row galleys, or work mines, or build roads.

Why not do that? Use prisoner labour to build something, rather than spend money throwing that life away.

[/QUOTE]That sounds all fine and dandy, but what about that guy or gal who was working a construction job you just put out of work, so prisoners could do something constructive.

In the late 1800's the State of Tennessee went to the Coal Companies and offerred them prison labor to dig coal at a very cheap price. The Coal Companies, seeing what a good deal this was, got rid of all their coal miners (who made less than a pittance) and put these prisoners to work. Needless to say the miners didn't take this laying down and war between the out of work miners and the Coal Companies broke out in the East Tennessee Mountains, with the prisoners caught in the middle. This was one of the things that stated the UMW (United Mine Workers). I figure much the same thing would happen all over again if you were to do that.