If they’re getting something in return – which is equivalent to having that thing withheld if they don’t participate – then it’s coercive, not truly “voluntary.”
The FAQ claims that “incarcerated people do not face disciplinary action if they choose not to serve their time in a fire camp,” but also says “[m]ost incarcerated fire crew members receive 2-for-1 credits, meaning they receive two additional days off their sentence for every one day they serve on a fire crew.”
So yeah, inmates who don’t “volunteer” don’t get any punishment for that choice… except a longer prison sentence than if they did “volunteer!”
The point of prison shouldn’t be punishment, though. It should be rehabilitation. If these prisoners are volunteering to perform an important civic function that could potentially save lives, that sounds a lot like rehabilitation to me. If prisoners can show they have been sufficiently rehabilitated, why are you wanting to continue punishing them?
So money is more important to you than giving people a chance at a new life with meaning and purpose and long-term job prospects? Think of it like an unpaid internship, except that in this case wealthy children aren’t getting the benefits.
Your argument makes sense for unskilled manual labor like pressing license plates and digging ditches, where no personal or professional development is gained, leading to no benefits after incarceration. But this program provides both training and a path to full-time employment and a real career after incarceration, as well as personal development.
Are you high? All inmates in the program VOLUNTEER to be in the program.
If they’re getting something in return – which is equivalent to having that thing withheld if they don’t participate – then it’s coercive, not truly “voluntary.”
The FAQ claims that “incarcerated people do not face disciplinary action if they choose not to serve their time in a fire camp,” but also says “[m]ost incarcerated fire crew members receive 2-for-1 credits, meaning they receive two additional days off their sentence for every one day they serve on a fire crew.”
So yeah, inmates who don’t “volunteer” don’t get any punishment for that choice… except a longer prison sentence than if they did “volunteer!”
The point of prison shouldn’t be punishment, though. It should be rehabilitation. If these prisoners are volunteering to perform an important civic function that could potentially save lives, that sounds a lot like rehabilitation to me. If prisoners can show they have been sufficiently rehabilitated, why are you wanting to continue punishing them?
Your argument would be persuasive if they were also paid a market-rate wage for their work, but they’re not.
So money is more important to you than giving people a chance at a new life with meaning and purpose and long-term job prospects? Think of it like an unpaid internship, except that in this case wealthy children aren’t getting the benefits.
Your argument makes sense for unskilled manual labor like pressing license plates and digging ditches, where no personal or professional development is gained, leading to no benefits after incarceration. But this program provides both training and a path to full-time employment and a real career after incarceration, as well as personal development.
Unpaid internships are unethical too. Why are you making excuses for slavery?
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