Should Prisoners Be given the Chance/Or Forced to Join the Millitary?

So I have had a thought for many years now, that prisoners should be given an oppurtunity to go into the armed forces. They would be compensated(although at a much lower wage), and they would be able to negotiate their sentences down based on years of service. So instead of keeping these guys laying around in buildings all day and wasting taxpayer money on taking care of them(average cost to house and feed an inmate is 64,000 yr) which is ridiculous anyway as I get by on MUCH less than that Now the argument I have always got from this is "oh your going to give criminals guns"? Well, yeah, there are already MANY gang members and criminals in the forces now so there would not be much a difference. Plus, the sheer number of people you will turn into rehabilitated members of society, would be a great benefit as well. All in all, these prisoners should not be layin around all day and having time to concoct plans, and join gangs within the prison system while we foot the bill. Does anybody agree with this line of thinking at all?

I just think it would relieve overcrowded prisons as they are letting these criminals out early in some cases just to relieve this overcrowding! And the amount of money that could be saved would be incredible as well imo

Hmmm...what could go wrong? Give criminals a gun and the authority and training to kill people?
I guess there's a few cases where it would work...ie. non-violent crimes...but there would definitely have to be some qualifiers - just like parole...maybe an evaluation board or something - and of course the crime they committed would have to be considered.

Their crime in the first place needs to be considered if they would qualify . The Dirty Dozen flash back , wow . They might just be training mercenaries that would run to the enemy after all the training depending on the deployment .

Put them to work to clean up the aftermath that still remains of Katrina for starters .

Someone this week posted all the fruit in Washington State that was going to rot if they cannot get labor to do it , there is some labor to pick the fruit right there .

NO!!! well at least not for violent people. If it was somthing like DUI or drug abuse, sure! But if it was somthing like rape or murder, why would you want to give them a gun and authorization to kill people??? Your insane!!

Originally posted by coldkidc
Hmmm...what could go wrong? Give criminals a gun and the authority and training to kill people?
I guess there's a few cases where it would work...ie. non-violent crimes...but there would definitely have to be some qualifiers - just like parole...maybe an evaluation board or something - and of course the crime they committed would have to be considered.

These guys would not just be handed guns. They would go through all the basic training and boot camps necessary. You will find that alot of these soldiers now are just that, gang members looking to hone their proficiency with firearms. And trust me, after what they see I doubt they will be up much for killing when they get home especially since they will be given a chance to use the money they make in service to start a new life instead of being put back on the streets with no money or job so they have no choice but to commit crimes.

Originally posted by darkredfish
NO!!! well at least not for violent people. If it was somthing like DUI or drug abuse, sure! But if it was somthing like rape or murder, why would you want to give them a gun and authorization to kill people??? Your insane!!

First of all I see your a new member so il just tell you nicely that personal attacks or namecalling are taboo on this site Second, Look at the stats of how gangs are in every branch of the millitary as we speak. You think these soldiers are carefully thouroghly screened? They are recruited OUT OF THE GHETTO in alot of cases.

Originally posted by darkredfish
NO!!! well at least not for violent people. If it was somthing like DUI or drug abuse, sure! But if it was somthing like rape or murder, why would you want to give them a gun and authorization to kill people??? Your insane!!

Plus I dont believe there are ANY people in prison for "DUI OR drug abuse".
second line

Of course that's what you do.
These people have the real experience!

I'd feel better about Otto and Sabertooth from cell block B out on the battlefield than I would with Tyler, Francis, and Dexter, who couldn't hold a job at Burger King, fighting for my so called freedom.

In a way, they already have prisoners working "for" the military, well building Patriot Missles if that counts. With a whopping $0.23-$1.15 an hour salary. Wired.com Link

Globalresearch.ca link also says:

Prison labor — with no union protection, overtime pay, vacation days, pensions, benefits, health and safety protection, or Social Security withholding — also makes complex components for McDonnell Douglas/Boeing’s F-15 fighter aircraft, the General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16, and Bell/Textron’s Cobra helicopter. Prison labor produces night-vision goggles, body armor, camouflage uniforms, radio and communication devices, and lighting systems and components for 30-mm to 300-mm battleship anti-aircraft guns, along with land mine sweepers and electro-optical equipment for the BAE Systems Bradley Fighting Vehicle’s laser rangefinder. Prisoners recycle toxic electronic equipment and overhaul military vehicles.

According to Prisonpolicy.org there are about 22,000 prisoners employed by UNICOR.

IMO we need to do away with the whole for-profit prison system, if there were to be an inmate-soldier program, I would recommend only non-violent offenders be given the opportunity, however I don't believe non-violent offenders should be in prison/jail in the first place.

Originally posted by darkredfish
NO!!! well at least not for violent people. If it was somthing like DUI or drug abuse, sure! But if it was somthing like rape or murder, why would you want to give them a gun and authorization to kill people??? Your insane!!

But of course only a small percentage of the military are front line soldiers. So a lot of this hypothetical prisoner program would send them to areas like maintenance, supply, paperwork, transport etc... where they'd likely never be in a situation to kill someone.

It'll never happen though. Keeping the prisoner numbers up is such profitable business.

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by darkredfish
NO!!! well at least not for violent people. If it was somthing like DUI or drug abuse, sure! But if it was somthing like rape or murder, why would you want to give them a gun and authorization to kill people??? Your insane!!

But of course only a small percentage of the military are front line soldiers. So a lot of this hypothetical prisoner program would send them to areas like maintenance, supply, paperwork, transport etc... where they'd likely never be in a situation to kill someone.

It'll never happen though. Keeping the prisoner numbers up is such profitable business.

I know thats what I mean 64,000 a yr to feed and house a prisoner!!!! Put them where ever but like I said these guys in there now alot of them are recruited out of the ghetto, no joke. They are not all cornfed middlewestners.

yes, they should be given the chance to dishonor the military, america and ruin america's reputation abroad, as well as create more terrorists by indiscriminately killing civilians and massacring unarmed people.

so as you can see, a regular recruit will just do fine, without releasing murderers and rapists.

reply to post by AllUrChips


They did this back in the 60s and 70s. It didn't really help anyone, but it did give the armed forces another enlisted man, not that they need that right now.

Originally posted by AllUrChips
Plus I dont believe there are ANY people in prison for "DUI OR drug abuse".
second line

Drug convictions can carry a sentence of 5-10 years in prison. In 2009 there were over 1.3 million arrests for drug charges. As of 2009 there were over 95,000 inmates in federal prison on drug convictions. Not to mention state/county.

Originally posted by xekron

Originally posted by AllUrChips
Plus I dont believe there are ANY people in prison for "DUI OR drug abuse".
second line

Drug convictions can carry a sentence of 5-10 years in prison. In 2009 there were over 1.3 million arrests for drug charges. As of 2009 there were over 95,000 inmates in federal prison on drug convictions. Not to mention state/county.

edit on 26-10-2011 by xekron because: (no reason given)

First of thats not the drug ABUSE you speak of. People in prison for drugs generally have been charged in selling and or manufacture of or trafficking of drugs. To ABUSE a drug is to use a drug in an ABUSIVE manner. Not really the kind in prison. Trust me. Just admit you mis spoke and lets move on, k.

technically this idea would classify as being somewhat fascist, but realistically in this day and age it makes great sense and i entirely agree with you.

how about this.... migrants who cannot obtain visas have the option of serving in the US military in exchange for a certain type of citizenship with appropriate benefits etc.

Originally posted by RickyVelveeta
technically this idea would classify as being somewhat fascist, but realistically in this day and age it makes great sense and i entirely agree with you.

how about this.... migrants who cannot obtain visas have the option of serving in the US military in exchange for a certain type of citizenship with appropriate benefits etc.

Totally agree with that as well. Make this stuff earnable not free.

I think this should be reserved for prisoners who are considered low level risk and also should be trained without weapons until they can be trusted on the battlefield.
It does work though, just look at Hannibal.

reply to post by AllUrChips


exactly, it would deal with both problems - the migration problem itself, and the general despondent racism towards said migrants. at least nobody would be able to complain about them taking our jobs, it could feasibly be an easily-controlled system which would help migrants obtain an honorable status in society as well as helping the country in a straightforward way that not even the stupidest redneck can complain about.