Prison Labor And Work Release Programs - 902 Words

Governor Wilma James’ state is facing severe budget cuts due to economic struggles and drops in tax revenues. The Department of Revenue had informed the governor that she must find ways to reduce the budget by $6 billion. There are several areas which the governor acknowledged as fixed and cannot be touched such as, health care and pension payments. Several proposals were brought to the governor’s attention and the one that stands out the most were the prison system. After conversing with the correctional commissioner, the governor decided to order an early release of inmates whose been charged with drug related crimes. Governor James believes that her action will reduce the state’s budget immensely; however, another problem that may transpire, is the rise of drug related criminal activities occurring all across the state. This essay will briefly highlight the contexts of prison labor and work release programs, and how it would be a better alternative as compared to the early releasing of felons incarcerated for drug related crimes. Discussion Elam Lynds (1784-1855) was the first warden of Auburn, New York prison and creator of the Auburn system. Lynds was also a pioneer of prison inmate labor and believed in hard work, which in return will help inmates obtain useful skills they could utilize after release (Kania Davis, 2012). From a financial standpoint, â€Å"Prison labor may be used to generate revenues to support the operations of prison environment† (Doss, Sumrall III, Show MoreRelatedWill Work for Room and Board: Prison Labor in America Essay1474 Words   |  6 Pagesfiscal requirements. â€Å"There’s special urgency in prisons these days,† â€Å"As state budgets get constricted, the public is looking for ways to offset the cost of imprisonment† (Brown). 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