I think its WONDERFUL that those idle hands will be put to good use. It makes sense to have them put something back into the community. After all the state is feeding/clothing/housing them. After a few weeks of working harder than they ever have on the "outside", they may straighten up their acts and not come back after they are set free!!..

This is a great idea, not only does it help the community but it may just help some of the in-mates get a new outlook on life.

THEY'RE STATE PROPERTY RIGHT NOW. THEY SHOULD BE USED TO HELP THE STATE THEY COMMITTED THE CRIME(S) IN.

I KNOW, I KNOW, ALL THOSE SOFT ON SUCH TACTICS WILL SCREAM UNTIL HOARSE THAT WE HAVE "GONE BACK TO THE STONE AGE". NO, THE CRIMINALS VISITED FRED AND BARNEY FIRST, NOW THEY ARE TO BE USED AS NEEDED FOR PROJECTS THAT FIT THEIR SKILLS.

WHO KNOWS, THIS MIGHT BE THE BEGINNING OF A WONDERFUL CAREER FOR THEM. SINCE THEY ARE NON-VIOLENT, MAYBE THEY CAN SHOW THEIR ABILITIES AND GET SOME GOOD NOTES ON THEIR FILE THAT MIGHT HELP AT THE NEXT PAROLE HEARING.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THE TIME (AND EFFORT) THEN DON'T DO THE CRIME. TEACH YOUR DISOBEDIENT CHILDREN THIS AND IT MIGHT COME TO THEIR RESCUE BEFORE THEY GET TOO DEEP INTO TROUBLE.

Great use of resources.

i would rather see this, than the immportation of an illegal immigrant work force.

i think ist a greatidea everyone wins! the community gets the help they need and the inmates get to do something they can be proud of

Build the worlds largest prison system on the leeve. 20 miles long. Let the inmates expand and repair it for the next 100 years until the city finally sinks into oblivion.

This is an excellent idea. Not only can they pay back to society, they can also get a sense of self worth. This can speed the process of healing their self esteem and give them a purpose when they are released from prison. Good Job!

this is a great idea, why not use convicts to help. i can think of no better way for them to repay a debt to society. a little incentive could also be considered on their behalf, like time off their sentence for good work performed in the publics interest

I believe that this is a great idea. Why not use all the man power you can get. There are people that are waiting for their lives to start back up again and they need help. Inmates can give the necessary manpower that is missing. The inmates are just sitting around right now and they can put their skills to use. I believe that all inmates should do some type of work so that they do not have time to sit around all day thinking about the trouble that they could cause. We have the inmates clean up the highways, why not let them clean up the debri left from the floods and hurricanes?

I think it is a fantastic idea to let the inmates help with rebuilding in the devastated areas.

I believe this is a wonderful opportunity for the inmates to help out the community. Some of them are citizens of the coastal counties too, and deserve the right to help. Not all of them are bad people and didn't commit such hanious crimes. As said some of these men and women have trades or skills that really could be used right now and I think they should be given the chance to help. It would also help with cost of labor. Some of these people are being paid entirely too much for the jobs they are not doing that well. Jobs where they have no skill or experience. Why not pay less or nothing at all for a job that will be done better? I'm sure the government wouldn't let an inmate out to help if they didn't think that the individual had "earned" the right. They would let the inmates who had good character and exceptional behavior help. In my opinion SOME, not many, of the people from out of state could be trusted less than these inmates. I mean the inmates are working on good behavior to get out of prison and some of these workers are "storm chasers" just after the money.

The concept is neither old nor new; however, it is a good concept.
Many of the men and women incarcerated come from these working class communities. Second, the inmates are learning a skill that could eventially add to employment.
Third, inmates are no different than none inmates in the sense most want to help others.
Inmates feel better about themselves when they can see what they are doing is helping others.

Why not use the prisoners, they will pay for there room and board like the rest of us tax payers. It will probably make them feel better about themselfs in the long run.

Excellent, this is a win/win in our lost community. Many of the inmates are local and nonviolent offenders, as long as there is adequate supervision and an indepth selection process this is what we need. Sitting in jail only teaches them to be better criminals, work in the community teaches them to be better citizens. I sure know I would let them clean my destroyed home.

It's good to read there is a skilled, available workforce that can be utilized. It's a win-win situation since the prisoners add to their job experience and they're being of service. And, communities get rebuilt. It's a good way to utilize this segment of the population. I think its something to think about in other parts of the country where there are labor shortages and these non-violent criminals can be used.

We think this is a wonderful idea as it will not only help in the cleanup and rebuilding process, but also the morale of the inmates, who in their incarceration merely "looked" at the distruction of the hurricanes. Now, they can take an active and constructive part and this too should help them feel better about themselves, as they are learning valuable skills. If/when they are done with their time they will have this knowledge and hopefully be able to use it in finding work so to be constructive citizens of society, again with a better sense of self and a higher self-esteem.

I did hear one disturbing thing in an earlier article, about how a construction company went into an area and talked to several disaster relief centers looking for any help, and all he got was "No way, I ain't going to do that kind of work" from those taking welfare or other aid. Now I am not saying those that are elderly and obviously too old to do that kind of labour, or too young or ill or challenged in some way. But this guy and his company could get absolutely nobody in the areas he went to want to help. Hopefully this is not true for all areas (actually I know that it is not and there are those who lost it all, yet their neighbors only suffered minor damage and there they went, helping their neighbors who still had something left.

We hope and pray that the cleanup and rebuilding is efficient, timely and good quality so that when the storms hit again the rebuilding will stand firm on solid foundations. To all, assalamu alaikum (means: peace be upon you) God bless you all.

I think this is a very wise thing to do with inmates and at same time improve our city..

These are people just like you and me. They just got caught so don't run them down. They will do a better job than most to just show they can.

it's a good thing serve the community for your special crime the farm was once self suffenct make it so again these people need to be out working hard maybe da won't wanna go to da big house another time....if they know da will have to WORK!!!!

Now wait just a minute; Is the nation's unemployment at 0% at this time? Are there any jurisdictions paying welfare or unemployment benefits to anyone? Isn't it smarter to provide transportation and housing for unemployed, non-convicted, law-abiding citizens with jobs? Paying the correctional system with contracts seem pretty slimy to me, since they are government contracts going to another government agency? I'm for the money going to offset the high cost of detaining a convict towards their incarceration but this seems very questionable to me.

Will the inmates be paid a fair wage for this dangerous labor? Will the monies earned be held in a safe account for them to have access to upon release or for those staying in custody, will the monies be sent to support children and family members?

Absolutely tremendous program that should be expanded as part of a convict reform program requirement. It is a great community service, helping to train those that did a disservice.

This is a great idea! Let's take it one step further though and give this same opportunity to those who are still feasting off the taxpayers waiting for the rest of us to do something for them. Yes, I'm talking about those 250,000 displaced people who are still being taken care of in every way shape and form by taxpayers and private charities.

I mean c'mon they have to get with it sometime in their lives, maybe some good honest work will invigorate them to move on and stop waiting for the rest of us to rebuild their lives for them.

I think using inmates is a great idea so long as they are permitted to volunteer for the work. I'm certain most of them would be anxious for the opportunity to help. The idea that they would be paying for their upkeep in prisons is ludicrous however. It's not like they opted to be there regardless of their crimes. It's similar to a parent telling a child to choose a switch to administer their punishment. Non-violent offenders -and others - are just as likely to feel compassion for the Gulf area victims as anyone else and for many these are probably their homes and families affected. I just think regardless of their inmate status, we are not a slave society and they should receive compensation for their work. In every situation in this country where inmates are forced to labor for profits for the prisons, there has been massive abuse of the proceeds by prison officials and they should be protected from this situation. It's impossible to impart a sense of pride in work if there is no remuneration or reward for that effort. Otherwise, it's slavery and unacceptable.

well by reading most of the comments here i see the goverment has done a great job of creating an enviorment where inmates are property to be slaved out to the highest bidder. aka chinese goods made prisoners sold to americans = job loss) if the idea is sos ound why continue to crminalize driving infractions (why not .0001 as legally drunk) and really expand the prison force im sure they are only doing jobs we americans dont want. right

it's a great idea as long as the insurance companies and federal government aren't being billed full price for this labor to line the pockets of corrupt Louisiana officials. Trust but verify!

Rick, thank God that you have obviously never lost your home and livlihood. The people of Waveland and Bay St.Louis as well as those along the entire Ms. Gulf Coast work everyday of their lives. Unless one has had to gut the inside of their home single handed with not much more than a box cutter, one has no idea of what he is talking about. Everything has to be removed and discarded from many homes. All the contents have to be dragged to the curb so that it can eventually be hauled away. It is a never ending dayly process. And this has to be done in addition to working a full day at your regular job if it still exists or working as a laborer for a city contractor.

There is no one waiting for "the rest of us" to rebuild our lives for us. We are grateful to everyone who gave up the comforts of their own lives to help us when we were and still are in such desparte need. Thanks to all who endured the 95 degree temps, who slept on the ground with us and who tirelessly worked along side of us. We appreciate your sacrifices and the hot meals you so kindly made.

You mean we had a Hurricane in Mississippi? I've been watching the national news networks and from what they've been showing me, I thought the hurricane only hit New Orleans...

I agree with the other Rick: there are literally tens of thousands of people here on the Gulf Coast who have opted to ride out their unemployment benefits rather than return to their previous jobs. Everywhere one goes here the "Help Wanted" signs are posted... you can't go to Ruby Tuesday after 6 PM because their former employees chose not to come back to work after the hurricane because between FEMA money and unemployment, they don't need to work.

Leave the prisoners in prison and put some of these real deadbeats to work!

Hopefully, Louisiana will use convict labor too.

The only place slavery is not outlawed in this country is within the prison industrial complex.... I would definitely like to know whether or not these inmates will be paid for their labor. They are fulfilling their "debt" to society by being incarcerated. Working for free AKA slave labor would seem like a slap in the face, especially considering that a large percentage of those prisoners are most likely decendants of slaves.

This is a good idea, but there should be some compensation and/or reduction in time served for the convicts. The men chosen to work on these projects would not be dangerous types. Too many people are locked up in this country for too long and some of them are repeat offenders because they don't know anything else. They are citizen/prisoners not slaves. Some of the comments about corrupt officials and devastated victims being leeches of the almighty state are too much. Americans who hate Americans have always had such a charm about them.

Bravo, finally a good idea to employ a state, financially effecient work force. Beware of the ACLU hypocrites

When I was young I remember being told that one of the differences between Soviet Union and us was we did not use prisoners as slave labor. I guess we have become our enemy.

Slavery ended over 100 years ago...didn't it? I hope these inmates or their families will be appropriately paid for their work so that when they are released and cannot get a job because of their criminal backgrounds, they still have a means to survive. Think outside the box a little more before jumping on the patty wagon.

I think this is an excellent idea. There is so much waste and abuse of tax payers money. Put the money and resources to work for the people in need. There are people living in tents. They need immediate help.

GREAT IDEA!
It is not only great for the community: also for the inmates. I am sure many of them will be more than happy to help in any way they can; anything to get out of the everyday routine. This is an idea that is long overdue: let the state recoup some of the funds they have to spend on housing, feeding and babysitting these inmates.

prisoners would not be used if the contract had to pay full price, thus, this undercuts the labor shortage and lowers the price of all labor indirectly, not a great plan for the working man

Hire some of the people who have been relocated when their homes were destroyed and their jobs were lost, and let them be productive. There's no law that says they have to sit around and do nothing. This would get them off welfare, maybe for the first time in some of their lives.

I think it is a good idea in form. My concern is of course, will they get proper HAZMAT protection if needed. The concept of fair wage for employ in this case is a great concern. HOWEVER, wage needs to be taken in relationship to the cost to house, feed, and medically provide for each inmate/worker. Fair wage outside of correctional settings is not the same as inside. This is a complex issue but I think it is a good idea.

What happened to all those people who have no jobs who were victims of Hurricane Katrina, who are still sitting around, hoping for work? Why not send them back to New Orleans, they want to anyway, and give them the chance

Kathy, Tallahassee

I'm sorry, but I don't read between the lines. Where did it say that the inmates will be paid / not paid? No discussion of salary was mentioned in the above blog. I do agree however, that accounts should be set up for those who are "selected" to work ~ for their use once they are finished serving their time.

I have a college degree, a career, and insurance...but inmates receive better health care/ dental/free surgeries, etc...than me! People on WELFARE receive better health care! They SHOULD be paid... yes, but the cost to house them should be taken into consideration. I know of too many drug and alcohol abusers who have had surgeries, medicines, etc... in the ranges of thousands of dollars paid for by the county.(I have family who work for the county.) Money to pay workers is not the issue... LACK OF WORKERS is the issue.. so let them VOLUNTEER, pay them the going wage, save it for them for later, and GARNISH for their RENT/Medical since word on the streets is... "if you need to see a doctor,AIDS medication, or God knows what else.. or a nice place to stay.. go to jail"... NOT KIDDING

Is it also a complex issue as to why these people are in prison? Did they not have the right kind of clothes when they were in school, didn't drive the right kind of car? They are convicted of a crime, why does it have to be such an issue that they now have to do something besides stay behind "bars"? Pay them, pay them for being in jail because they committed a crime? Who is at fault here, the "bad" guy or the victim?

I certainly hope that people that post their comments read what others have to say - maybe they would learn something. Let the people serving "time" get out there and do something. Why is it so hard to understand that the people that have been through this hurricane and lost everything are still trying to face reality. Maybe those that don't think we have been through hell should come here and see REALITY.

I really think it is a great idea for prisoners to work. But alot of the posts are mentioning that they should be payed and the money go to them or their families. Personally I think they should be paid and the money go to their VICTIMS or their VICTIMS family. I know some are there because of drug abuse, but usually that boils down to having stolen something to get money for drugs, well pay off the people they stole from! For goodness sakes, we have to support them while they are in prison. One person mentioned that they didn't "ask to be put there"! Good grief, YES THEY DID!!! By the crimes they committed they ASK to be put there! You do the crime, you do the time! We have some very good friends who's son went to prison for stealing cars. This same son talked to us on the phone from the prison and told us that "if I had my old lady here with me, I would just stay, it's great!" Now come on, something is wrong with this picture! These inmates need to do something to pay back society as a whole. And yes some of them will do it gladly, and I feel like those are the ones that will come out of the prison system and eventually make something out of their lives. Others will have to be MADE to get out there and work, these are the ones that live off of society and the taxpayers. THESE ARE NOT SLAVES! For crying out loud! They are prisoners that CHOSE to be there because of their actions! I don't feel like using them in anyway comes to SLAVE LABOR! And as for the assertion that most of their desendants were slaves, isn't that a very "racist" statement? Are you saying that most of the prisoners are black? I know alot of different races that are in the prisons....so don't go blowing your horn about the poor desendants of slaves are being made to be slaves again.................many, many Whites, Asians, Spanish etc have been slaves through the years. They are not there because of their skin color, but BECAUSE OF THEIR CRIME!!!

Mississippi deserves all the help it can get to get back on their feet and become "whole" again! Mississippi is a wonderful state with great people! I stayed there one summer and I met the nicest people anyone would ever want to meet! So I say....go for it!!!

You liberal Democrats who want to pay these criminals for work when the law abiding citizens are already giving them free food, housing, medical, cable, library etc. are absolutely insane. I don't care if they volunteer, I don't care if they like it or not. I say we should work their sorry souls for as long and as hard as we can and no,it's not slavery (but we can expect a jesse jackson sighting as soon as this program is implemented).

Inmates are paying their debt to society by living behind bars for a predetermined time as designated by a judge. That is their sentence. To impose forced labor on them is not only illegal, but represents nothing more/less than government sanctioned slavery. I do, however, feel that such a proposition could be justified and mutually beneficial if the program is voluntary and the inmates are paid at least the prevailing mininum wage which in turn can be used for his or his families benefit and not have to be used for something as ridiculous as paying 'rent' to a correctional institution.

I am a small contractor in Canada but would like to go with my crew to help out but don't know who to contact or who to see pertaining to work visas
Can you help

There are Pros,Cons(no punt intended)and even dangerous consequences one must consider before saying lets do it. On the outside this appears to be a logical way of solving a problem. While in fact a trick happens right before us and no one yells "HEY".

What trick you say?

When a magor part of a goverment's baggage becomes a asset, this should be considered a hell of a trick.

Now think about their next trick "hideing the manipulation" lol. While the theme of this idea is appetizing ,other things must happen first or it could get ugly.

As a whole, society is with out leadership. Its obvious, from fed to state down to city in most cases. And until we all rethink how we elect our officials we better watch out. After all some one you know and love (yourself) may be arrested ironiously because the state needs to rebuild a nother mess they created. Ah recruitment.

This will become an issue. The weather is getting worse. As being predicted, the next 20 years of weather is going to be rough all over. This is a reality. Its time to get real.

I like my criminals behind bars sitting on their hands diong nothing. Anything else wouldn't be much of a punishment. I don't care who they are, violent, non-violent, whatever........it makes more sense to me to put a bullet in their head and save my tax money for new schools or libraries for the people who contribute to society. The meth addict rotting in a cage is of no concern to me; there are too many people on this planet anyway, can we not thin the heard a little bit?
Oh right, excuse me, they have families and friends too, who care for them, right? Of course, you are talking about the people who apparently failed them in the past enough to let them wind up in prison/jail.
I don't see what the big rush is anyway. Why not take our times and re-build the area in a meticulous, methodical manner instead of just continuing to half-ass it like the response started off? not to mention to, wouldn't this kind of work give these criminals inside knowledge on how some of the structures are being built?

I had the priviledge of volunteering in D'Iberville Mississippi for one week through PDA (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance). 23 of us from NJ came down and did our small part in a region that needs more work than you can imagine. As for inmates being paid or not paid, that's not my decision, but they should be allowed to volunteer for the work. I feel that doing something like this for the benefit of others is beyond monetary value. You can't outgive the Lord! If you give in his name, he will give more back to you. The region is full of wonderful people who appreciate the help of others even when it doesn't affect them directly. I'm going back down with my church next spring.

its time waveland an Bay St LOuis get off their butts an do some work themselves. Stop the freebies an they will have to. You dont hear that much whinning in Louisiana, just in Mississippi.

I thank using prisoners to help rebuild is a great idea!! This way they can give back to the City and the State. As far as paying them, I say NO WAY, they already get room and board and all medical and dental and even cable TV at the expense of the taxpayer. Personally I think they should bring back chain gangs and have prisoners help the state cut back on other expenses.

Use not only prison labor but illegal immigrants for reconstruction. If the illegals spend a few months working for free they might think twice about violating our laws.

The are getting "paid." They have T.V., reading material, access to Library, etc. That's enough. Make them work for it as well. They have a hell of alot more than residents along the Gulf Coast have now!

My husband is in the politically crooked Louisiana prison system. I believe they should get paid something so they can purchase commissary or even send some home to help pay the collect phone call bills. Being in jail is not cheap on the family by no means. I even have to drive over 2 hours to see him. That's gas money and food to feed three children. Volunteering to help is one thing, making them help is slave labor. The sheriff gets the kickbacks.

Hey, there are more black men aged 18-25 in prison than college so this is a great opportunity for segregationists to feel good about slavery again right?

While we're at it, let's start throwing people who file for bankruptcy into prison and make them work off their debt.

Corporate profits will rise and America is restored to the values that made this country great...circa 1776.

I would argue that having inmates out working is easier on them than making them sit around all day. People I know who have been to jail - admittedly, county jails where there's no inmate violence - say it's the boredom that beats you down the most, with verbal abuse from guards a close second.

First of all, I don't think that too many of the people that added their comments in the blog are familiar of how the prison system works or has ever interacted with a real, live prison inmate.

Inmates, for the most part, are just as concerned for the well being of those outside of the walls. We all assume that they sit on their behinds all day long with absolutely nothing to do. WRONG! Most of the prisons use inmate labor for everything that happens within the confines of the facility. The only job that the guards have is to sit on their backsides and oversee the work that is done by the inmates and to collect their paycheck while complaining about how dangerous their jobs are. I'd say that at least 70% of those guards are overweight and suffer from some form of health abnormality that can be linked directly to their inactivity rather than the stress of their jobs. (And no, I am not a former inmate in any institution) I'm tired of hearing how awful it is for the guards and their safety and wonder if anyone is even remotely concerned for the safety of the inmates. Does human worth stop existing at the prison gate? (And I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there that think it does stop there!)

These inmates are paid less than $.40 an hour with the payscale never reaching beyond that. We all assume that inmates are handed everything for free, but they have to buy everything they use other than the basic necessities such as 3 meals a day, sometimes only 2 or 1 depending on the facility and who is running them. They are provided a bed, blanket and cell. Basically everything else they are allowed to have is heavily monitored and paid for by the inmates themselves from their earnings or by family members. Inmates must also contribute a percentage of their earnings for payment of their restitution. Those fortunate enough to get a job working somewhere in the facility are relieved to do something other than count the bricks in the wall or tiles on the floor and are willing to do a very good job.

I personally know of a young man that is in prison for 32 to life for murder. He works 2 prison jobs and takes educational courses in between his jobs.

FYI-he is white: Not everyone in the system is of African, Hispanic, Puerto Rican or from south of the US border.

FYI- Not all prisoners are unworthy or incapable of rehabilitation.

FYI - Most of the incarcerated are willing to work hard for VERY little and are conditioned to believe that they will never be good enough for the unforgiving society from which they came out of.

For those that have committed non-violent crimes, they should be afforded the opportunity to not only help the communities rebuild, but the opportunity to rebuild themselves as well.

As long as guidelines are met on the part of the institution, such as the wage being comparable to the work performed, they volunteer to go outside without harassment from authorities and inmate safety is guaranteed, that it is a wonderful thing. I'm not consumed with fear when I think about the guards' safety only because they have an entire army of fellow guards to watch their backs.

Yes, it would be a perfect world if bad things didn't happen to good people and good things didn't happen to bad people and slave labor was a thing better left in the history books.

Society complains about how expensive it is to continue to house, feed, etc. all of these inmates but don't consider that society itself is responsible for creating the criminal. Shouldn't society be just as responsible for their rehabilitation?

I am so glad that alternatives are being considered that really make sense. They should consider taking this idea several steps further and consider using the opportunity to rebuild an entire city as an opportunity to train and employ various sources of labor including unemployed adults wanting to return to the city, students, juveniles who are incarcerated and need job training to assist with their rehabilitation, etc. This would include all types of rebuilding requirements starting with design and/or redesign of infrastructure to material manufacturing for everything from plywood to drywall, craftsman skills including tile setters, masons, plumbers, painters, electricians, engineers, etc. The list is endless.

Building costs around the country have already increased substantially due to the increased need for all types of building materials. This will certainly take a toll on our nation's economy which has been heavily dependent on construction industry. Everything possible needs to be done to keep costs down, train and employee people, and keep our economy running at peak performance.

I personally agree with the idea that has been put forth. Too few N.O. natives have decided to come over to Texas and fuss about this and that, and have now decided to stay here and become a burden for us to bare. They are living a good life here in Texas, free apartment rent, free hotel/motel stays (with room service included as meals, how nice). After getting all those freebies, they complain "You gave us a free apartment, now where's the free furniture?" Get a job! There's plenty of them waiting for you where you came from. But all too often that is the mentality that has been instilled into lower class income citizens. Don't work for it, the government will give if you fuss and make yourself a victim enough. So, here we are, no one to take the jobs that are being begged for.
I have seen others ask about compensation. Why compensate these prisoners any more than we already are? Each and every one of them has a bill and debt to the taxpayers of this nation. They eat, sleep and play on our nickle. Hey, if they gave me 8 hours worth of work a day, I think I wouldn't mind paying it quite as much.

Sounds like a good idea to me , but also include the people that are complaining about lack of jobs there, get off their lazy butts and help to!!

WONDERFUL IDEA! Yes, there are lots of unemployed people in the hurricane zone, however, evidently not all of those that are unemployed want to help with the reconstruction or maybe feel they don't have the skills, whatever the case, the rebuilding MUST be done and if the residents aren't doing it, then by all means bring in someone who is willing. These prisoners are crying out for a chance not only to see something besides the inside of a prison but also put their hands to work. Whether they are fully, partially or not compensated at all is mute. They want to work, there's work to be done, so let them do it.

Please let me add my approval of the idea to allow these individuals a chance to contribute. Many times I wonder if it is truly a good idea to place these individuals into cells to vegatate for years. This is an idea long past due.

3 cheers for the "chain gang"... I am in full agreement with the whole idea. I do think however that prison overcrowding could be addressed simultaniously. For example, don't go housing the inmates in local jails, you only cripple the sherrif's daily operations. Why don't we build a temporary prison camp just outside of town and the commute to work is short and sweet. Also, lets look at doing some time reduction for the "volunteers" i.e. those who covenant to behave themselves and not try to run or some dumb thing that would give the program a black eye. I guarantee you that if you tell a man doing 5 years that for each day he works (hard), that he will be rewarded with a day off of his sentence... he'll be the best darned volunteer in the coast. Not only that, he will look out for the common good of the program, i.e. reporting violators to warden so that the program does'nt get scrapped. And while your at it, they could be rewarded with a "field day" on the beach once or twice a month. Nothing like the smell of freedom to motivate a guy to continue to work toward it.

OH.... by the way, concerning prison overcrowding. We are seeing with growing alarm the tendecy to just arbitrarily "release" inmates when there is no more space. If we have had a guy who say is doing 5 years and has worked real hard for say 1 1/2 years rebuilding lives on the coast. Why not just look real hard at the possibililty of considering him for early realease. Think about it

slavery is slavery. We have speed traps here in Ga.
all the government needs to do is set up a radar check
and the government can have 30 or 300 citizens sentened to 90 days in jail, in less than 3 days...
???HOW MUCH SLAVE ( FREE ) LABOR DO YOU WANT TO USE TO
BUILD YOUR NEXT NEW HOME? OR OTHER PROJECT?
for a brown bag of 100$$ bills I can get you ten men
at no cost to you. we feed them, we house them, we
take care of their medican and health care.

What I've learned from reading the blogs so far is that "crime does pay", and also that lazy-no-good-deadbeats don't have to do a thing but live off the government, which is out of our pockets. We are supporting them, and now they are sitting on their butts waiting for us to give them new houses, etc,etc. I for one am sick of it. Why didn't they move into those trailers? Put them to work!

Don't just post so you can run your mouth, read the other ideas and maybe all of us will learn something. Do I think that this is really going to happen? Well, one can only hope ----------

What a bunch of Bozos, More experts (idiots) with an internet connection. Don't you have anything better to do than read all this CRAP? Mybe it's time to reload your software?? Who writes this stuff? Sheesh- Get a life. Why don't you all donate some of the wasted time you spend on the net and help. Talk about a bunch of do-dos (grin) Cancel your net provider accounts and send the money to LA and MS (Help them and help clean up the internet) bunch of mammy-pammys....

LOL You wasted time criticising others for wasting time? Cancel YOUR account and read a book or something. Then you might learn how to spell "namby-pamby".

To say using inmates as "slave labor" is wrong, is a joke. They need to work for there keep. My father worked in the prison system for over 15 years as an administrator and I know first hand how good the inmates have it. I am a proud citizen of the GREAT state of Mississippi, and I do not have a problem with prisoners paying for there keep. It costs around $40,000 a year to house 1 inmate, just one!! I don't make but $22,000 dollars a year, and I work 40 plus hours every week without health insurance, so you tell me how fair that is. How is it a law abiding citizen has to pay for Dr's visits out of pocket, because of lack of insurance, and a prisoner can have heart transplant Free of charge! I say to those who aren't from Mississippi, mind your own business, our state, and it's citizens have suffered enough name calling, racist slurs, and hate mongering, pray for us, dont hate on us! We (Mississippians) care about our fellow man, yes every man, woman and boy reguardless of color, quit living in the past, let's move forward to a great future. The press has all but forgotten our state, while concentrating on New Orleans. Don't forget that months after disasters there are still homeless, hurting, confused,people who need everyone's help and there understanding in such a horrible time.

IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION. AND, NO, IT IS NOT SLAVE
LABOR. IT IS COMMON SENSE, PURE AND SIMPLE.
AN APPROACH LIKE THIS HAS BEEN USED IN CALIFORNIA
FOR A LONG TIME AND IT WORKS!

Great idea, but why compensate them with early release for working? It costs money to arrest, convict, inprison, etc. It's not my fault they broke the law, why should my taxes pay for their incarceration?

Expand this idea, please. Make prisoners produce as many cheap goods as possible. As long as they only work the standard 40-hour work week, this is a good thing.

Check out sunherald.com and read another story about the in-mates working on the rebuilding project. Too many people jump to conclusions that are not correct about "everyone here sitting around waiting to be taken care of". I double dog dare people with some of these mistaken comments to come on down and see what really is going on.

Amen to your post "Southern Born -N- Bred"!

I just don't understand where some of these people that are posting such nonsense get their information from. One person stated, "why didn't they move into those trailers". Is she or he speaking of the FEMA trailers? Is this person here now and observing something that I do not see or hear about each and every day for the last 3 months? NO ONE is just sitting in their car or living in a tent just hoping anyone is going to "give" them a house. Those that are in cars, tents and any other place they can find to live is just playing a waiting game for that FEMA trailer to be brought to the location they have to prove has sewer and power. These people that have lost everything are not allowed to just pull up to a trailer location in a truck and haul one away! When people make stupid comments the ones having to live through this just shake our heads and try to forgive you.

THANKS! Will K, Clinton, NJ, for the support of my post.

well its been 10 whole days and nobody has weighed in on issue. Soooooo does this mean we get to vote now? I vote that we, "USE THEM.... AND REWARD THEM". (see my previous comments)