Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Prison For Pennies On The Dollar
Americanthinker ^

Posted on 10/23/2026 7:27:46 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET

Prisons are expensive. States lock up only as many people as it takes to keep voters from getting up in arms about crime, and not one more.

A small used container ship can be bought for $5 million. 40-foot shipping containers cost around $1,250. Fitted with plumbing, wiring, insulation, drywall, ductwork, windows and doors, each container becomes a spartan housing unit for roughly $8,500. Bunks stacked three-high in two rows along each side, one container would sleep about 30 inmates, and still have room for a shower, toilet, and sink.

A small ship holds about 250 such units, enough for roughly 7,500 inmates. The total cost of ship and housing is just over $7 million, or under $1,000 per inmate. Compare that with $160,000 in Alabama or $350,000 at DHS. The money Alabama is spending on 8,000 beds could, in principle, house more than a million inmates afloat.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: alabama; crimetruth; debttruth; prisontruth; shippingcontainers

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-47 next last
To: The Great RJ
During WW-II we housed hundreds of thousands of POWs in camps

Sheriff Joe did it in Arizona but no one else did.

21 posted on 10/23/2026 9:11:46 AM PDT by itsahoot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

I understand, but building with masonry can be done affordably, too.

Have the inmates quarry stone, make bricks, pulverize rocks to make sand, mix mortar, and lay the masonry units for their own custom, multi unit housing. They’ll get exercise, learn a skill and build the accommodations for them and their future buddies that they can have pride in. It’s such a self-esteem building approach.

With all that masonry some walls can be put up around large tracts of land where they can plant corps to feed themselves. Tilling that soil, weeding, harvesting; all by hand should give them plenty of time out in the fresh air to commune with nature and think about how they want to live when they get out. It’s an organic lifestyle that will allow them to get in touch with themselves and the seasonal cycles of nature.

The profits from selling off the surplus materials can be used to buy Ben Gay, sunscreen, gloves and new tools. How cool is that?

Because I’m sure they aspire to be paragons of societal virtue they probably would prefer to live off the grid, so AC and electricity won’t be needed either.


22 posted on 10/23/2026 9:23:26 AM PDT by chickenlips (Congress, it's more profitable than the other form of prostitution)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

I’m in favor of the technique used in “Minority Report”:

Medically induced coma until completion of the sentence. Intravenous feeding and top quality medically managed care.

The money saved on work out equipment in prisons across the country alone would probably be a cost savings and it would turn into a hellacious deterrent.


23 posted on 10/23/2026 9:23:52 AM PDT by military cop (I carry a .45....cause they don't make a .46....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: T.B. Yoits

Came here to shout out the late sheriff Joe.


24 posted on 10/23/2026 9:28:20 AM PDT by FrankRizzo890
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

My son in law had a container for his quarters when he was deployed to Djibouti . They were stacked several high. They were hot—but they had AC.

It wasn’t on a ship. It was not comfortable. I guess being in the Army can sometimes feel like being imprisoned. LOL


25 posted on 10/23/2026 10:00:46 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FrankRizzo890

Joe Arpaio is still alive.


26 posted on 10/23/2026 10:08:10 AM PDT by cyclotic (Don’t be part of the problem. Be the entire problem)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: cyclotic

WHOA! So he is! I was *SURE* I heard that he had passed. Or maybe it was just that he was no longer Sheriff.


27 posted on 10/23/2026 10:47:25 AM PDT by FrankRizzo890
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

What I like is that they can them be sunk.


28 posted on 10/23/2026 10:55:23 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PeterPrinciple

I’m thinking a 10k acre hog farm in the Nevada desert. Bad behavior? “Feed ‘em to the hogs!” (Brick Top reference)


29 posted on 10/23/2026 10:57:50 AM PDT by pingman (Hi Ho Silver! AWAY!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

I pray we have a plan to annihilate it if the politics there change.

65k man army with nothing to lose near our border.

Bad idea.


30 posted on 10/23/2026 11:03:19 AM PDT by Chickensoup
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET
Don't give the Deep State any ideas. They are already eager to lock of millions of Jews/Christians/conservatives and other dissidents.

There are a number of examples of people being imprisoned in the Bible. But God never commanded or suggested it as a long-term strategy or means of punishment. It was always a pagan practice. Neither the liberal mindset of "criminals just need therapy" nor the false conservative "lock 'em up and throw away the key" ideas are consistent with Scripture when it comes to punishing criminals. Repentance and restitution should be the focus.

31 posted on 10/23/2026 11:07:03 AM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: military cop
Medically induced coma until completion of the sentence.

And what would that accomplish?

32 posted on 10/23/2026 11:08:10 AM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

Folks,

There have been movies about this. Do we go to the movies and learn nothing?


33 posted on 10/23/2026 11:15:46 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ((Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EnderWiggin1970

Punishment for felony convictions.


34 posted on 10/23/2026 11:16:30 AM PDT by military cop (I carry a .45....cause they don't make a .46....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Vermont Lt

Same deal for me. In Sarajevo. In November…..

It was quite comfortable.


35 posted on 10/23/2026 11:17:53 AM PDT by military cop (I carry a .45....cause they don't make a .46....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: military cop

If they are asleep how are they being punished?


36 posted on 10/23/2026 11:23:35 AM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: T.B. Yoits

CHECK


37 posted on 10/23/2026 11:37:13 AM PDT by Vaduz (NEVER TRUST A DEMOCRAT)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: EnderWiggin1970

**Don’t give the Deep State any ideas. Neither the liberal mindset of “criminals just need therapy” nor the false conservative “lock ‘em up and throw away the key” ideas are consistent with Scripture when it comes to punishing criminals. Repentance and restitution should be the focus.**
Scripture and $2 will buy you a cup of coffee. Repentance works in Japan but not here. Think BJ(Monica).

**Medically induced coma until completion of the sentence.
And what would that accomplish?**
**If they are asleep how are they being punished?**

Simple. They’ll understand why they can’t just get up and walk away. Vasectomies they won’t have informed consent to.


38 posted on 10/23/2026 12:09:28 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: military cop
Medically induced coma until completion of the sentence...



39 posted on 10/23/2026 12:14:53 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: EnderWiggin1970
There are a number of examples of people being imprisoned in the Bible. But God never commanded or suggested it as a long-term strategy or means of punishment. It was always a pagan practice. Neither the liberal mindset of "criminals just need therapy" nor the false conservative "lock 'em up and throw away the key" ideas are consistent with Scripture when it comes to punishing criminals...

When the Good Thief called out the other criminal for mocking Christ, saying Christ had done nothing to deserve crucifiction, Christ did not say "you didn't either".

40 posted on 10/23/2026 12:17:45 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-47 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson