In addition to the human costs of incarceration, the monetary burden is staggering. It costs $32,000 per year to incarcerate an inmate in a New York State prison and $64,000 to confine a woman in a New York City jail.
Source: http://projectgreenhope.org/advocacy/cost_prison.shtml
You know, there is an idea here!
Us elderly parents who do not want to be a burden to our children can just commit some crime, and get ourselves sent to jail, so the state pays for three hots and a cot.
Think we could sue for conjugal cell rights?