“prisons”
LOWER COST CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Accused persons would be given a court date, and for non-violent crimes the alternative choice of avoiding trial by serving time in a penalty time room. The arresting officer would set the number of penalty time hours based on state guidelines. The magistrate may change the number of hours upon the request of the accused. To encourage serving time, the hours served in the first week would receive a 100% bonus, going down 20% by week. The penalty time room system would allow accused persons to maintain employment and would allow governments to avoid paying for defense counsel and jail room & board.
Non-violent crimes such as shoplifting might be punished by strapping substantial and visually obvious weights on convicted persons.
Criminal trials would normally start in the afternoon to allow most defendants to affordably hire defense counsel for merely one day.
Your points are worthy, and deserve consideration.