Although one wouldn’t know it from popular caricature, conservatives have frequently condemned the abuses that occur routinely in America’s prison system. (Even Rich Lowry has written about this.) With that in mind, the $10,000 grant awarded to Pat Nolan of the Prison Fellowship by the Freda Utley Foundation at CPAC last weekend is very much worthy of note. Here’s the video of TAC‘s associate publisher Jon Basil Utley — Freda Utley’s son — presenting the award:
See also Jens Soering’s first-hand account of the conditions all to prevalent in our prisons.
MattSwartz 
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We should bring back “hard labor,” “the chain gang” and horsewhipping or caning. I’m serious. The costs to states and the U.S. government of the present system of incarceration exceeds $75 billion per year. Rather than rehabilitating criminals, our prisons reinforce criminal behavior and encourage institutional rape and degeneracy.
Instead, non-violent offenders could be put to work in garment, textile, shoe or leather factories where we have lost substantial jobs to China. They would be paid a wage, have better quality food, live in a group dormitory and, most important, they would be entitled to conjugal visits. Good work habits and good behavior could result in early parole, an added incentive.
Violent offenders could be assigned to hard labor on farms (displacing illegal aliens) or in dangerous or unpleasant jobs shunned by ordinary workers. If they refused to work, they would be chained to a wall and fed bread and water. Tough love to bring them to their senses. Flagrant misbehavior on the job could get them caned. They, too, would be rewarded by being paid and allowed conjugal visits. This would be a better form of rehabilitation than sitting in a cramped cell where all they can think about is sex.
And let’s free white collar criminals like 86 year old John Rigas of Adelphia Communications, a combat veteran of WWII and an engineering graduate of Rensselaer Polytechic Institute who did nothing more than try to keep control of the company that he founded by borrowing money in the company’s name to buy newly issued stock. He is a victim of overzealous prosecution by Bush Jrs. attorney general, John Ashcroft. Spending 40 or 50 thousand a year to keep Rigas in prison is a waste of taxpayer money.