Angola Prison Rodeo, inhuman or not?

Syzygys

Syzygys

As a mother, I am telling you
Valued Senior Member
I am throwing this up for discussion. I can argue both ways....

I saw a very interesting piece on the sportchannel about a prison in Luisiana where the warden organizes biannual rodeo for the inmates. Singing up is completely voluntary and more inmates sign up than who can actually participate.
The rodeo is very dangerous, the prisoners get hurt a lot. But, 80% of them NEVER get visitores and most of them are lifers with no parole options. So when you are in jail for life, getting gored by a bull seems a lot of fun.
The warden says that it has a very positive effect on the inmates and there is something for them to look forward, also they only get to participate if they behave. One interviewed inmate had 4 lifesentences AND 200 years, I guess it is hard to control a person or try to make his life worthwhile...

More info:

http://www.angolarodeo.com/

http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2008/10/20/its-october-which-means-its-rodeo-time-at-angola-prison/

You can see the report on HBO's Real Sports program...
 
I don't remember but there are tickets for sale, so I assume not....

By the way the question wasn't the economic side of the story, but the humanity of it. One guy's family jewels got dmagaed, the warden's answer: "he doesn't need it here anyway."
 
Syzygys said:
By the way the question wasn't the economic side of the story, but the humanity of it.
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Well, if that's the case, then the prisoners volunteered for the dangerous fun. So, ...what the hell? There are many rodeo cowboys who do the same things for a living. If it's inhumane for prisoners to volunteer for it, are we doing to stop the rodeo cowboys, too?

Maybe we should just force everyone to sit all day and watch tv, so they can't get hurt or harmed in any way. Walking across a street is dangerous, so ....sit in front of the tv all day is better, isn't it?

Baron Max
 
I always thought that going to prison was meant to be where you don't have fun or enjoyment but are there to do hard time for crimes you have commited against others. Prisoners should only be given time to excercise at specfic times of the day then back into their cells for the remainder of time. Giving prisoners any type of recreation only shows who is running the prison system.
 
cosmictraveler said:
I always thought that going to prison was meant to be where you don't have fun or enjoyment but are there to do hard time for crimes you have commited against others.
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Nope, that was back in the days before the bleeding heart liberals took over and made the luxurious changes to prisons. Now, some of the prisons are better than many of the public schools in the nation ...and cost far more to operate, too. Nice, huh?

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
Well, if that's the case, then the prisoners volunteered for the dangerous fun. So, ...what the hell? There are many rodeo cowboys who do the same things for a living.
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True, but there is a counterargument against it: When being in prison for decades is so deprivative to the human spirit that even being gored by a bull looks like fun, than something is wrong...
 
Syzygys said:
True, but there is a counterargument against it: When being in prison for decades is so deprivative to the human spirit that even being gored by a bull looks like fun, than something is wrong...
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But that's the idea behind prisons, to NOT want to be behind bars and become depraved.
 
Syzygys said:
True, but there is a counterargument against it: When being in prison for decades is so deprivative to the human spirit that even being gored by a bull looks like fun, than something is wrong...
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I don't know why you say that. It was his choice to take the chance of going to prison when he committed the crime(s).

And where do you get the idea that prison should be some kind of social therapy or something? It's prison, it's punishment for doing something wrong against society's rules.

The prisoner had a choice before he went to prison, now he has a choice to take a chance of getting gored by a bull. Big deal. We all make choices in life; some are good choices, some are bad. Don't you think that we should all be responsible for our own choices?

Baron Max
 
They don't have to if they don't want to. End of story.

Though I think they should get medical attention for genital injuries.
 
Treating people with social disorders by sending them to prison makes no more sense than sending people with mental disorders to asylums.

Only people who are truly a danger to themselves and others should be incarcerated.

The others should be rehabilitated and allowed to make restitution if they injured others.

I see no reason to foot the bill for your petty revenge and then at the end of it have a person more dangerous coming out then he was going in.
 
swarm said:
The others should be rehabilitated and allowed to make restitution if they injured others.
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But before society makes that determination, don't you thing it would be wise to actually have a WORKABLE method of rehabilitation? Right now, we don't ...there is no method of rehab that's been shown to work. So ...what now?

Your liberal attitude is admirable, but it seems that it's only words-without-substance.

swarm said:
Only people who are truly a danger to themselves and others should be incarcerated.
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Well, damn, ....you were able to dream up rehab for the others, why not just go ahead and dream up a rehab for these guys, too? Hell, you're on a dream-roll, just continue the dream in the same vein. Voila'

Baron Max
 
Baron Max
to actually have a WORKABLE method of rehabilitation?
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There are workable methods for large numbers of the people we currently make no effort towards. There would also be more workable methods if we were actively seeking such. Rehab programs that have been tested always come out roses with less cost in the long run and less recidivism.

Your liberal attitude is deplorable. I'm tired of paying so you can socialize the prison system and pay perfectly healthy people to sit on their ass.
 
swarm said:
There are workable methods for large numbers of the people we currently make no effort towards.
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Okay, name them, provide scientific studies and links, show where and how and who those "workable" rehad methods have worked.

swarm said:
Rehab programs that have been tested always come out roses with less cost in the long run and less recidivism.
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Give some scientific study info ...otherwise it's all just words. And, by the way, don't link me to articles where psycho-babblists just throw out more pipe-dream words.

Baron Max
 
Why is someone with four life sentences + 200 years allowed to do anything AT ALL ? He should be rotting in some damp, dark and rat infested dungeon.
 
Enmos said:
Why is someone with four life sentences + 200 years allowed to do anything AT ALL? He should be rotting in some damp, dark and rat infested dungeon.
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No, he should have been executed long, long ago! Keeping him in a cell is just a major waste of taxpayer money.

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
No, he should have been executed long, long ago! Keeping him in a cell is just a major waste of taxpayer money.

Baron Max
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I agree it's a waste of money, but I do have a problem with capital punishment.
Although.. I might be willing to set aside my objections in special cases...
 
Enmos said:
I agree it's a waste of money, but I do have a problem with capital punishment. Although.. I might be willing to set aside my objections in special cases...
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Well, the more cases you object to is just that much more money the taxpayer will have to hand out.

And I have to ask you this: Why do you want people like that? What good are those people to any society? Do you think any society on Earth would accept such people with open, loving arms?

Baron Max
 
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