Should Irish prisoners earn their keep?

junkyard · 02-08-2009 12:30PM #1

Looking around the country at the state of the place and councils complaining that they have no money to maintain the place wouldn't it be a good idea, like many other countries, to get prisoners off their @rses and earn their keep for a change? There's plenty to do and some of them would be quite happy to do it than be locked up 24/7. What do ye think?

Michellenman · 02-08-2009 12:34PM

Most definitely.

Mossy Monk · 02-08-2009 12:35PM

I agree. Chain gangs FTW

TPD · 02-08-2009 12:36PM

Yup. Well supervised obviously, but they should definitly be made work.

Hagar · 02-08-2009 12:36PM

junkyard wrote: »

Looking around the country at the state of the place and councils complaining that they have no money to maintain the place wouldn't it be a good idea, like many other countries, to get prisoners off their @rses and earn their keep for a change? There's plenty to do and some of them would be quite happy to do it than be locked up 24/7. What do ye think?

I'd hate to think that they would be happy, but let them work for their keep, hard labour.

Tipsy Mac · 02-08-2009 12:37PM

They should do work where current local authority budgets can't currently manage, for example cleaning litter off beaches.

Banter Joe · 02-08-2009 12:38PM

Sounds good, but there must be a few good reasons there aren't any?

bronte · 02-08-2009 12:42PM

Yes.

mikemac · 02-08-2009 12:42PM

Many county councils have no money for projects.

So send the prisoners out to clean roads and parks. If they had some interest they can plant trees or learn to build walls.
Simple projects and well supervised.

In fact, it might be something people would volunteer for, get out of your cell and learn something new outside.

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

They should do work where current local authority budgets can't currently manage, for example cleaning litter off beaches.

Good call, I heard about some council who cut back on this, possibly Fingal.
Sure take the people out for a few hours in the morning, they could be finished early by 8am and the public would hardly have to interact at all

TheZohanS · 02-08-2009 12:45PM

Banter Joe wrote: »

Sounds good, but there must be a few good reasons there aren't any?

If they're able to smuggle mobile phones and budgies into prison when they're locked up imagine what they'll be able to bring in if they're let out to work.

Yo, yo, yo and welcome to Cribs live from Portlaiose Prison..

galwayrush · 02-08-2009 12:45PM

Definitely, they can do the council work that our councils no longer can afford to do.

rasper · 02-08-2009 12:46PM

Do ya honestly in this basketcase of a country that the taxpayer would gain or even breaK even bythis kind of scheme, there is no way our useless government and its broken systems of restrictive work practices can make anything work,
I wonder does the system in gthe US cost or benefit the taxpayer there, possibly run privately in some states which may make it work alright

Hagar · 02-08-2009 12:47PM

Guards would have to be armed ala Cool Hand Luke.
The more I think about this the better it sounds.

Holsten · 02-08-2009 12:47PM

Yes, worked hard all day everyday.

Biggins · 02-08-2009 12:49PM

Absolutely!
Besides the fact they are adding back to the community, they are also working which means they would be more tired (possibly less less aggressive as a side effect to the tiredness?) and easier to control and maintain?

The Muppet · 02-08-2009 12:52PM

mikemac wrote: »

Many county councils have no money for projects.

So send the prisoners out to clean roads and parks. If they had some interest they can plant trees or learn to build walls.
Simple projects and well supervised.

In fact, it might be something people would volunteer for, get out of your cell and learn something new outside.

Good call, I heard about some council who cut back on this, possibly Fingal.
Sure take the people out for a few hours in the morning, they could be finished early by 8am and the public would hardly have to interact at all

bad call actually

If the Local authorities don't have the money to pay people on FAS schemes to do this type of work how could they pay the extra expense to get prisoners to do it, or are they to be let out on their own?

A small number of prisoners nearing their releaes time do work outside the prison but It wouldn't work on the scale suggested.

Coriolanus · 02-08-2009 12:56PM

They're guarded by prison officers anyway remember. Nice long length of sturdy chain, arm the officers with rifles and a scope and I bet you could get away with as few as 1:25

My name is URL · 02-08-2009 12:59PM

I wonder how much it would cost just for insurance on having them outside of prison.

It's not a bad idea but I dunno if it would be all that feasible in bureaucratic Ireland

They could build prison-like agricultural areas and make the prisoners become self sufficient that way

loctite · 02-08-2009 01:00PM

Cleaning beaches would be too easy for em...

Striped clothing a few miles of cargo boat chain and transport 21 could be finished ahead of schedule...

I have wondered for years why this has not been done... Time to repay your debts to society boys!! (and girls!)

mikemac · 02-08-2009 01:00PM

The Muppet wrote: »

bad call actually

If the Local authorities don't have the money to pay people on FAS schemes to do this type of work how could they pay the extra expense to get prisoners to do it, or are they to be let out on their own?

The prison officers are watching them all day anyway.
Sure just take a batch of 10 or so inmates, a transport van and however many prison officers you need.
Maybe a horse too if you're going down to the beach.

The beach would be the easiest of all. Chain them at 5 metre intervals, form a line and walk down the beach, easy

That's all

TPD · 02-08-2009 01:01PM

Or, you could have some kind of electrocuting collar on them, which goes off if it is more than 200m from the prison guard with a transmitter. Like they have to keep dogs in the right garden.

Then once theyre in the prison, pop off the collar and give them a shiny penny for their hard days work.

TheZohanS · 02-08-2009 01:04PM

mikemac wrote: »

The prison officers are watching them all day anyway.
Sure just take a batch of 10 or so inmates, a transport van and however many prison officers you need.
Maybe a horse too if you're going down to the beach.

That's all

You'll probably have to add a driver and a couple of extra guards to that, plus Prison officers will seek higher pay for having to work outside their place of employment.

It's a great idea but would end up costing the State more than it would save it.

junkyard · 02-08-2009 02:34PM

And privatise prisons too like some in the US. If measures aren't taken soon we'll be overrun with prisoners as the crime rate here is soaring i'd hate to think was we're paying in taxes to look these muppets up.

Hagar · 02-08-2009 02:41PM

If we make them work outside for 12 hours a day, the cell could be occupied by another prisoner for the 12 hours thereby doubling our prison capacity. I'm too smart for this place.

Biggins · 02-08-2009 02:42PM

TheZohan wrote: »

If they're able to smuggle mobile phones and budgies into prison when they're locked up imagine what they'll be able to bring in if they're let out to work...

You have a point but I'd point out also the use of further body searches and/or metal detectors, etc heading back in.

galwayrush · 02-08-2009 02:42PM

Hagar wrote: »

If we make them work outside for 12 hours a day, the cell could be occupied by another prisoner for the 12 hours thereby doubling our prison capacity. I'm too smart for this place.

That's the overcrowding issue solved as well.:D

Cianos · 02-08-2009 03:13PM

I think it'd be good from the perspective of reform as well. Being held in small confines is psychologically damaging, and even if the prisoners were brought out once a week at least it'd be something they could base their week around.

I can't see it happening though unfortunately. The guards would need extra training and they would probably have to be armed. I don't think it'd be accepted having the prisoners work in full view of the public or in even remotely populated/busy areas, which doesn't leave much practical work to be done.

Still, it could work if it was done on a small scale, maybe 10 prisoners and 2 guards or something. Not just prisoners chosen at random, they'd have to be non violent, not gang connected or drug related.

Kevin Bacon · 02-08-2009 03:16PM

misread the title to this when i first saw it thought it said "should irish pensioners earn their keep?":rolleyes: bleedin pensioners always looking for something for nothing

Outkast_IRE · 02-08-2009 03:21PM

Lets just give them their own little island off the coast and they can do what they want on that.
Lets just say if your found guilty with no doubt whatsoever that you commited a very bad crime , murder, multiple rape , the worst crimes in the country you get sent to the island just you and you fellow scum to fend for yourselves no prison officers , no nothing enjoy .
It wont cost much.

poisonated · 02-08-2009 03:39PM

I like the sound of that:D... I think it should be surrounded by armed guards or something to ensure that they dont escape

junkyard · 02-08-2009 03:45PM

Get local gun clubs to patrol the place, plenty of trigger happy guys there would only be too happy to oblige.;)

Should Irish prisoners earn their keep?

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