7 ms·
It’s honestly insane how a prisoner gets free healthcare, education, shelter, food, etc. and yet those who do not commit crimes are (ironically) “chained” by de
by tempsy 7y ago
It’s honestly insane how a prisoner gets free healthcare, education, shelter, food, etc. and yet those who do not commit crimes are (ironically) “chained” by debt instead to pay for all those things.
Honestly if you’re in bad health, old, and have limited savings it would probably be better to just commit a white collar crime and go to prison than to die in sickness and poverty.
- eloff 7y agoIf you think it's such a good deal, you're welcome to join them...
- munk-a 7y agoI think you're vastly over estimating the quality of those services delivered to prisoners, especially if they're incarcerated in a private prison where mold/maggot ridden food[1] is served on a regular basis. Still, I think it's important to note that some proportion of these criminals turned to crime out of desperation - the system that squeezes the poor for every dime they can't spare is the same that profits from their incarceration and privatized healthcare is a super twisted kind of awful. 1. https://www.metrotimes.com/table-and-bar/archives/2018/02/07/michigan-may-stop-using-private-food-vendors-in-its-prisons https://www.metrotimes.com/table-and-bar/archives/2018/02/07...
- tempsy 7y agoIf you’re old and poor and have a chronic illness you can’t pay for, having mediocre government healthcare is better than nothing, obviously. The point is I would 100% commit a white collar crime if I were put in that situation.
- munk-a 7y agoIf you're old and poor you're probably a Medicaid/Medicare dual eligible already and are receiving a decent level of care - it's not great and it should be higher... but it's better than what you'd get in prison... that said - your chronic condition might still go untreated.
- tempsy 7y agoYou’re giving the government too much credit. Medicare has a 20% coinsurance. Who knows if you have a chronic illness if that 20% is $20 or $200k. And if it was that simple then people in this country would not be bankrupted by medical debt. I’m also speaking of people younger than 65 who aren’t eligible for either.
- kube-system 7y agoBankruptcy is still a life of luxury compared to prison.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- tempsy 7y agoDebatable if you’re sick and elderly with little savings.
- kube-system 7y agoNot at all, that sounds like the most ideal candidate possible for bankruptcy. The situation you describe would likely be a "no-asset" chapter 7, where the person filing doesn't have to surrender any assets. The majority of chapter 7 cases are. The worst part of the process would be getting together the few hundred bucks you need for the lawyers fees.
- rwmurrayVT 7y agoOn the federal level you would not have any of those issues. You'd be at a medical facility or a minimum security. I have been to one of them. It's certainly better than what most people would expect. At the state level.. you're going to be hurting.
- jazzyjackson 7y agoI don't expect it's very high quality healthcare/education/shelter/food, tho maybe it's a prospect to make it available without committing a crime... hard up for cash or don't much care to participate in society? Check in to the local penitentiary.
- tempsy 7y agoAgain, if you have a chronic illness and you have no money in old age having government healthcare is better than nothing. I’m not actually sure the quality is that bad.
- Ghjklov 7y agoOn the other hand, if you're young, one route is to join the military for a lot of those same benefits. That's what I should do honestly, but I value my free time and peace of mind as a civilian too much. You should look at it this way. You either pay in money through debt, or you pay with your mind and body as a military personnel or a prisoner. Both sucks ass and none of us are any better under this rotten system.
- tempsy 7y agoIf you’re not killed or injured the cost is high probability of lifelong PTSD
- hilbertseries 7y agoThere are many non combat roles in the military.
- robert_foss 7y agoMove to another country. Seriously. Not all places are this bad. Some have free healthcare and education.
- Ghjklov 7y agoThank you for the encouragement. That is actually one of my wishes I'd like to fulfill myself some day. I need to do my best for now with what I have until I can make it happen.
- robert_foss 7y agoMoving is hard. Especially the first time. If you're young, many countries have young peoples visas that are valid for 1-2 years. Which would allow you to work & some time to get set up and figure out your next steps. All you really need to get started is a non-tourist visa, somewhere to stay, and a plane ticket. As for actually making the above happen, no one is going to hold your hand, you have to want it bad enough to make it happen.
- robert_foss 7y agoMaybe the problem you're seeing is not in the prison system, but rather in the non-prison population of citizens. Maybe healthcare, education, food & shelter are basic human needs and something any decent society should provide for its citizens.
- scarecrowbob 7y agoThey'd just kill you via lack of care. In my very limited but not non-existent experience with geriatric prisoners, your suggestion here is roughly on par with suggesting that an elderly person step out in front of a bus and hope that they can win a lawsuit.
- tempsy 7y agoHardly...this is not even novel. There are stories of this happening over the years. Also...Chelsea Manning got gender reassignment surgery in prison? The government cannot just neglect you if you have a condition.
- throwaway17_17 7y agoFirst: Chelsea Manning was a Federal/Military Criminal inmate housed in a Federal prison, her case is in no way controlling in the state correctional system Second: Manning was a high profile prisoner, who secured loud counsel to argue for what is a popular talking point medical issue (I do not mean to imply that her issue and those also seeking similar surgeries are not important or deserving of attention for their desires). If she had diabetes and wanted a pump instead of daily insulin shots the outcome may have been different.
- tempsy 7y agoYeah I would strategically commit a serious enough white collar crime to go to federal prison
- rayiner 7y agoIf you’re old, you get Medicare. The median age of felons at the time of conviction was just 30. People in their 20s make up 20% of adults but 40% of felons.
- tempsy 7y agoMedicare doesn’t cover 100% of medical costs. You still have a 20% coinsurance you have to pay, which could be any amount.