Houston Considers Prison Labor to Clean-Up Abandoned Property

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=99915&catid=153

Prison inmates could become the clean-up crew for abandoned properties in Houston County neighborhoods.

County leaders say they need an inexpensive way to maintain yards, especially on foreclosed properties.

They say prison labor may be the most cost-effective solution, but it's just one option to help solve the problem. snip

Sanders said the option could keep foreclosure costs from falling on tax payers. He said, "Is it fair to put that expense on the back of taxpayers, when really somebody else owns that property?"

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Why are the taxpayers paying for this? Shouldn't the banks who now own these homes be hiring people to maintain these homes? Put someone who isn't in jail to work. Something is really fecked up here.

Don

[slackmaster]

1. "Still shakin' it, Boss!"

[maryf]

2. “the cell block has replaced the auction block,” Yusefas Komunyakaa

Something is truly "fecked" up here...its called capitalism, anyway to increase profit, sure fire way is to cut labor costs...why do you think the US has 25% of all the world's prisoners?? It's a huge industry...and its institutional slavery...

[Canuckistanian]

3. No, you force the BANKS to maintain the properties

They took possession, they're responsible.

Besides, isn't this "nanny-statism"? Getting the government to help you out when you can do things for yourself?

[slackmaster]

7. That's what the city of Chula Vista, California has done

It's made a big difference to people who live near an abandoned parcel.

[Canuckistanian]

8. And it must be a boost to the local economy

Hiring all those maintenance and security contractors.

[madrchsod]

4. it will cost a whole lot of money using prison labor.

the city is using people who were sentenced to community service. it`s the banks responsibility not the state tax payers

[mrcheerful]

5. But this isn't about saving money this is about punishing those who were convicted of a crime

and making sure the convicts aren't just laying around doing nothing while being fed and sheltered by the state. That is what chain gangs were about, they made a bunch of excuses on why chain gangs were justified, but the reality was the belief that criminals were just lazy people committing crimes instead of working. Though not voiced that way any longer it still is a widely held belief, criminals are just to lazy to seek honest work so why should the state feed and house them without making them earn their keep. It is very popular in the south as a way to make sure convicts aren't just sitting in a cell enjoying all the perks prison life provides, why prisoners have the easy life, they pay for nothing and reap everything. Can't fix stupid you know.

[TexasProgresive]

9. I spent some time in jail ministry

What you say is really a misnomer often spouted by those who have never witnessed the inside of a jail/prison.

Those chosen to be on outside work crews are the privileged. Most prisoners would give their eye teeth to get out in the outside world even to do heavy labor. Anything to get away from being in close confinement in a loud environment.

The guards and administration want workers who will actually get the job done. This eliminates those prone to violence and bad attitudes.

[mrcheerful]

15. No they might have told you that was the reason they wanted outside prison work detail duties

then there is reality. By going out to work outside of the prison it provides them with opportunities that being locked down doesn't allow them to have other wise. Escape is a lot easier from the outside then the inside for one. Then there is the opportunities to score contraband that being locked down doesn't provide. Being privileged in prison amounts to doing nothing more then being a model prisoner, they usually tend to be snitches or short timers who are not looking at long sentences.

It also don't eliminate dangerous people, as long as the prisoner doesn't display violent tendencies or walk around with a chip inside the prison complex, there is no way to determine what that person is capable of doing. What you failed to see from visiting a prison is the harsh reality of prison life or its effects on the population. Another thing your not seeing is that like outside prison there are violent people who are very very good at covering up violent acts and not getting caught by prison staff in acts of violence or expressing attitudes around prison staff or people that come in to visit.

[TexasProgresive]

16. My information stands- it was confirmed by guards, admin and

inmates alike. You can believe what you want because there is nothing anyone or I can prove you wrong since you are 100% correct in your mind.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Let the banks pay the upkeep as the original owners did

And if the banks are forced to do this maybe they won't be in such a hurry to foreclose on the owners to begin with?

Don

[mrcheerful]

14. Your forgetting the history of southren prison chain gangs. At one time the state

would assign convicts to private owned farm land to work the fields and harvest the crops, a practice that pretty much ended in the 60's. Meaning the state paid for free labor to the rich farmer.

[maryf]

18. again

different kind of slavery...

[blindpig]

10. What masterful obtuseness.

Instead of doing the obvious they 'think outside of the box'.

Capitalism works differently for the capitalist than it does for you and me.

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. dunno if prisons in Texas are private now...?

so if private, then MAYBE no taxpayer money, but still the banks who own the foreclosed properties
are getting cheap help, and the money they pay for the prisoner work goes to........????

[Angry Dragon]

12. The taxpayers pay for the prisons either way

Public or private.......
The banks should pay for the upkeep if the prisons supply the labor
The pay should be going rate and not prison pay

[sarcasmo]

13. Prison Industrial Complex. This country sucks at most things but #1 in prisons and war.

[Odin2005]

17. The New Slavery.

Despicable.