at roughly £40,000 to £50,000 per year per person to keep; our prisoners are an untapped financial resource. We need to set up Prison mines. In them, our prisoners work and earn benefits. Pillows, nice bedding, better food etc. The money that they create, mining coal lead, tin, or at quarries etc, for free can be used to ofset an increase in prison guard salaries to £36,500 a wage match with the American penal system and a well earned thank you for some of our unsung heroes.
All excess money can be depositied into our treasury savings account the interest of which will be used to offset tax reductions with the aim of removing the tax burden from the people that the prisoners have committed crime against. This would be the minimum life sentence for those capitol prisoners who, while found guilty by Jury, did not meet the neccessary 60% guilty vote in the death penalty referrendum. As such they will be immediately taken to mining facilities where we can restart our mining industry and sell at the standard global prices and still manage to make a profit. The same could also be the sentence for anyone receiving a longer than 5 year term in prison, with standard prisons being basically converted to factories.
We can then remove all x box’s and play stations and pool tables, with the only way to get out of work is to study 8 hours a day doing an open university degree course. For those who work but also want to study, their earnings will be used to offset the cost of the degree courses so that the education of the prisoner and in fact the maintenance and running of the prison system shouldn’t really cost the tax payer a penny.
The Bible says, if you don’t work you don’t eat. The first benefit of agreeing to work as a prisoner is an improvement of food. There should be a 3 tier food system.
Unworking prisoner: basic food and water. What is necessary for the preservation of life only.
Working Prisoner: Massive improvement in meal choices and improved standards of food.
top 10% earning prisoner: The most profitable earn dessert and special meals on birthdays and Christmas dinner is only available at this tier.
The closed mines can be made safe with regular inspections by (Would it be structuaral engineers?) Fencing will be put up and guarded around the facility to include electric fencing, Armed guards man the perimater with the right to fire, basically they are weapons free in the event of an attempted escape.
