To think that prisoners should have to pay towards their keep?

[girlfriend44]

So you commit a crime and go to prison and your kept also for free, no money worries etc.
If you can afford it shouldnt you pay something towards it? it costs country alot of money to keep you locked up why not contribute?
Your not exactly spending your money while your locked up anyway.

How would you means test it?

Prisoners who aren’t making money … because they are in prison.
How does that work then?

Surely many have already made a contribution, via tax?
Plus if you're thinking of places like the US, the prison industrial complex is huge business. Extracting money from prisoners would only be another example of their rank exploitation.

This is a very ignorant post.

Prisoners DO need to spend money while locked up, for example on toiletries.

Many people in prison have been homeless, ex armed forces, care leavers etc. It is very hard for most people leaving prison. Why do you want to make things worse for them?

But presumably they aren’t going to have a wage coming in so unless they have a lot of savings where will the money come from?

Many people in prison have been homeless, ex armed forces, care leavers etc. It is very hard for most people leaving prison. Why do you want to make things worse for them? yes people will need whatever savings they have when they leave.

Millionaires yes maybe.

No. This is an inherently governmental responsibility.

I don't necessarily agree they should pay out of money they have but I do think they should have 'jobs' that contribute to society in some way, help them with job skills and keep them busy. I know a lot of people disagree with that though.

No. Loss of freedom is the punishment.

I’d argue they do pay towards their ‘keep’. Any taxes they’ve paid up to the point they go to prison are contributions towards this.

Furthermore, as a society we have to accept that a portion of our tax contribution goes towards prisoners and the justice system. It’s an important element of being part of a civilised society — how humanely we treat those who transgress the rules/laws.

I agree, if people with means have to pay for care homes, why on earth not prison, at least something comparable to what it would cost to live elsewhere?

Of course many prisoners won't have the means, but some prisoners are very wealthy. People like Jeffrey Archer, Rolf Harris. Why should they be kept at the state's expense? Some will even continue to have a good income whilst inside.

You can’t get blood out of a stone.

The majority of the prison population are already in poverty at the time of their incarceration and are unlikely to have many, if any, assets to contribute towards a prison term. It’s more likely prison plunges people further into poverty because a lot of people come out with nothing unless they’re lucky enough to have family willing to have either kept their basics going whilst imprisoned or give them a base to rebuild from.

as a policy that would be scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

Contribute how, exactly?

Most people lose their jobs when they get locked up, and they'll need all the financial help they can get once they're released as they'll already struggle to find accommodation and work as it is.

YABU. It's a silly idea.

This would be true for the majority, but not everyone. If we can manage means testing for care in old age I'm sure we can manage it for prison.

Actually there's a train of thought which proposes that, after slavery was abolished in the US, the prison system expanded massively in response to the economic desire to create lots of free replacement labour, hence Black men being imprisoned in large numbers on specious grounds.
So again, difficult to ensure that this is carried out in an ethical way, I think, given how entangled we remain with the history and culture of that time.

A bit off topic but what happens when someone gets a whole life sentence? I'm thinking of WC who may have owned a house with his wife. Does his equity go to her or is it like a divorce where they'd sell and he'd get a % that would just sit in the bank forever?

A Google says that:

The maximum a convicted prisoner is able to spend per week is £25.50 although most prisoners are limited to £15.50 (the limits are higher for remand prisoners) — these amounts have not changed since 2008.

If you go into prison totally broke how do you get money? Does every prisoner have a prison job?

I find prisons a bit fascinating though have never been in one!

I assume benefits are stopped once someone's in prison.

If they can contribute via community service in some way, then they should. Possibly a minimum amount of time per week, with the option to more for extra privileges?

IMO we have no right to be locking people up because we believe they have broken a law we have made up, so no, I don't think we should charge them for our privilege.

IMO we have no right to be locking people up because we believe they have broken a law we have made up, so no, I don't think we should charge them for our privilege

Sex crimes, murder ?

Really? How would you propose someone was punished if they stole your life savings? Beat you up? Raped you? Murdered you?

What exactly do you think people go to prison for?

On the off chance that this is serious, what would you do with the man who, for example, raped your sister or murdered your mother, let alone burgled your house?

If they've worked at any point, they've already paid taxes which contribute to the prison system.

If they've never worked, they don't have anything to contribute anyway.

It would be much better if all prisoners had to work (if able). We have a category C prison here and the prisoners run and shop and make stuff to sell, which goes towards the prisons' general upkeep - from things like benches to garden furniture and planters etc. for gardens. They also have allotments and sell what they grow.

Much better than taking money off them that they'll need to survive once they're released, or the money you "save" on their prison care will just be paid out in benefits anyway.

some arent worried about that. They dont mind going to prison, some even keep going back.
Why should they have access to their savings when they get out?

So much moaning is done about people on benefits what about people in prison costing the tax payers a fortune!

And what about people who are wrongfully convicted OP? Give them a refund when they leave?