Personally, I think prison ought to be structured a lot more like life outside prison. You teach people what they need to do to be successful outside, which has

Personally, I think prison ought to be structured a lot more like life outside prison. You teach people what they need to do to be successful outside, which has some obvious benefits. Provide for jobs, pay a reasonable market wage, a fair amount of paid time off and/or sick leave. Then teach them how to pay bills and prioritize. Charge reasonable rates for accommodations, food, and amenities. Let people upgrade their room for an increased monthly fee. Maybe they can pay for cable. If someone wants a steak on their birthday, they can splurge and get one -- but it will cost them more than their usual meal. Now you're probably asking: "but what if they refuse to work?" I say: the same thing that happens outside a prison. You don't work, you don't get paid. You don't get paid, you can't buy food. You can't buy food, you don't eat. The problem will solve itself after a while.