With unemployment as high as it is, surely this is the wrong target to create jobs for?

I can see the court case already.

Prisons should be places where you work, rehabilitation isn't going to happen by laying in bed all day. Funds going to victims seems perfectly acceptable, pay back for breaking society's laws.

Prisons are for rehabilitation not generating a new income for the prison service. If prisoners cannot read then they should be taught to read and write. Until they complete their course they should be ineligible for parole or release.

That I agree with. Education should take priority over fund production.

If they have better prospects once they leave prison, then they are much less likely to cause trouble again.

I disagree. The prisoner is "paying back" society by being in prison - that's the punishment. I think they should keep all the money (minus tax) so that they have something to start with when they return to the outside world.

Wrong way round; society is being made safer by the prisoner being removed from circulation - their 'debt to society' is not automatically cancelled out by their being securely detained whilst they play dominoes or hit the gym. Why shouldn't their time be spent 'earning' funds that go to their victims??

Er, that's exactly what it is. When you leave prison your punishment has been exacted and your debt repaid - you're once again a free person and can carry on as normal (with the small blight of "unspent" convictions). If monetary reparations were going to form part of the punishment then they would be awarded by the court. In fact, if the victim is that determined to get cash out of them then they should sue in the civil courts.



Like I said, prisoners should be able to put something together that will help them get on their feet when they get out of prison. You're not going to do anyone any favours if the only way they can fund themselves on the "outside" is to turn to crime again. To "pay" prisoners for work which they then don't receive is tantamount to slave labour, IMO.

This is something that was brought up here last night. I also see it as a kind of back-door slavery, especially if this would be mandatory in all prisons.