Ramaphosa slammed after suggesting that prisoners should do hard labour

[Cray]

Well yes, but it can be dealt with outside of the slavery aspect.

They broke the law and are liable for X fee to the state for their duration of incarceration to cover costs. For them to pay off the fee they provide their labour at a set price per hour.

Am not against allowing them to work , I think most prisoners would choose to work as it makes the days go a lot quicker. Still think it should be voluntary and that they should be allowed to earn some money for their labour even if it's only a pittance.

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

If they don't get paid for their labour and they don't have a choice it pretty much amounts to slavery thought, doesn't it?

Human beings were enslaved.

Rapists and murderers are trash, not human.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Am not against allowing them to work , I think most prisoners would choose to work as it makes the days go a lot quicker. Still think it should be voluntary and that they should be allowed to earn some money for their labour even if it's only a pittance.

I am in two minds about this to be honest...

I think prisoners should be expected to be vaguely productive in terms of not being a total drain on the fiscus, and really the only way to do that effectively is to make them do labour of some form during their sentence.
Maybe shorten a sentence if they provide labour over a certain amount, and maybe a small pittance of an extra bit of money or something.

 

[Cray]

I am in two minds about this to be honest...

I think prisoners should be expected to be vaguely productive in terms of not being a total drain on the fiscus, and really the only way to do that effectively is to make them do labour of some form during their sentence.
Maybe shorten a sentence if they provide labour over a certain amount, and maybe a small pittance of an extra bit of money or something.

Yeah agree, unless life is actually life these people will eventually be released back into society, having some saved money to support themselves and maybe a skill or two going forward might mean a lesser chance or re-offending.

 

[access]

the prisoners working thing is a good idea, the rest of it i dont care for

 

[Fulcrum29]

If they don't get paid for their labour and they don't have a choice it pretty much amounts to slavery thought, doesn't it?

Yes, why I suggest that the opposition should counter it with an alternative than what they regard as unconstitutional and populistic. In fact, under correctional terms, these convicted criminals must give back to the communities, or the public they have affected, in the form of acceptable labour practices under the 'law' of good and ethical practices.

Hard labour within itself is what it is, hard labour, but Ramaphosa's additional remark as to expose them to the "harshest" of conditions is what riled the DA up. As I said, counter it with a productive argument. Parliament is about making progress...

 

[ToxicBunny]

Yeah agree, unless life is actually life these people will eventually be released back into society, having some saved money to support themselves and maybe a skill or two going forward might mean a lesser chance or re-offending.

I do think we need to reintroduce the concept of life imprisonment into this country, where a person will never be allowed to re-integrate, but it should be reserved for the most heinous of criminal behaviour.

But yes, inmates do need to have an opportunity to gain skills and possibly earn some money (but it should not be at the expense of the taxpayer, it needs to be provided for within a system that lessens the burden prisoners are on the national fiscus)

 

[Vrotappel]

How is it unconstitutional? Pay your keep. Food and free lodging covers your compensation. You can also learn some valuable skills for the future.

 

[supersunbird]

So much stupid from the DA.

 

[Ponderer]

Fully agree with CR on this.
Prisoners owe a debt to society.
They should pay that debt back instead of being a further burden to society.
Put them to work - hard/lots of work.

 

[Polymathic]

The truth is this will lead to less jobs for the few hard working honest South Africans. There are very few job opportunities to begin with

 

[chromedome]

There go a chunk of his votes..

 

[DreamKing]

learned from CCP?

 

[CaptainObvious]

DA looking for points again.

No points to be had here, just the typical DA knee jerk to condemn everything the ANC says, this is the first thing anyone in the ANC has that I actually agree with

 

[Acid0]

I agree with the DA here its not fair to expect them to work,


When will they have time to eat KFC and watching DSTV or strippers?


But seriously I dont care if it is seen as slavery, they should be stripped of all benefits from this country, they decided to commit a crime and we still have to look after them.

If they are released for what ever reason then re-instate the benefits as a normal citizen

 

[Barbarian Conan]

There are plenty of problems with hard labour for prisoners. I remember seeing something about how it's implemented in the US.

Effectively the prison negotiates the rate the inmates are billed out as, so there's room to supply very cheap labour to your friends' companies.

Then, of course, do we want to flood the market with more cheap/free labour in a country where the unemployment rate is already so high?

 

[Compton_effect]

A few years ago my wife spent a lot of time volunteering for LifeLine. One of their projects was run counseling sessions for prisoners at Groenpunt Prison near Deneysville.
After two weeks working with the prisoners her attitude had changed from wanting to empower them and offer them a fresh start on life - to suggesting it would be better if we use them as labor to make RDP Bricks. 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. (Her words, not mine)

I still think its a good idea. Use them for that in their first few years, and depending on their behaviour - move them to vocational training manufacturing other components like roof trusses and the like.

 

[Flanders]

Make them pick up litter. That way, when they're out after 5 years for murder, they won't think twice about murdering the phuckwit litterbugs.

 

[Johnatan56]

DA scoring own goals again. Pretty sure the vast majority of South Africans would be in favour of hard labour for prisoners and the death penalty.

I'm very against the death penalty. They mess up often in the USA, imagine it here. Would probably be abused politically as well.

 

[Excalibur]

I'm very against the death penalty. They mess up often in the USA, imagine it here. Would probably be abused politically as well.

Yeah, like sending Malema to the gallows for making things difficult for the ANC.