Thanks to Ed Schultz for talking about this today: Inmates could staff fire stations in Ga. county

[1776Forever]

Inmates could staff fire stations in Ga. county

http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/3d64a7d7-www.wlos.com.shtml

October 10, 2011 08:01 EDT

Inmates could staff fire stations in Ga. county

ST MARYS, Ga. (AP) -- Officials in southeast Georgia are considering a money-saving program that would put inmates in fire stations.

The Florida Times-Union reports (http://bit.ly/nZbutT) that the program would put two inmates in each of three existing firehouses

in Camden County.

Officials say the inmates would respond to all emergencies -- including residential fires -- alongside traditional firefighters.

The inmates would have no guard, but would be monitored by a surveillance system and by the traditional firefighters, who would

undergo training to guard the inmates. Authorities say one traditional firefighter with correctional training can supervise up

to three inmates.

Authorities say the inmate firefighter program could save the county more than $500,000 a year by some estimates. Inmates charged

with crimes such as drug offenses and thefts would be eligible.

(more at link)

.............

Here we go - This is the GOP answer to replacing our Firefighters! What's next - Have the Prisoners watch themselves?

:crazy:

[rsmith6621]

1. What The F Goes Through Their Minds.....

...lets just stop crime by not prosecuting it...problem solved..

[MedicalAdmin]

7. IT is impossible to compete with slave labor on a cost basis.

ANd what the GOP is trying to do is to return to the good old days when slavery was legal. One way to do this and still get around that pesky constitutional amendment is to use prison labor for everything.


Coming soon will be prisoner teachers, police, SEC regulators, FBI agents, public defenders, DA's, etc. What could go wrong?

[NOLALady]

2. Ummm

Sounds like an incentive to generate more inmates.

[raccoon]

3. Has the country gone bat guano insane? nt

[jwirr]

4. Oh, just think of it as a gop rehab program.

:sarcasm:

[KamaAina]

5. What's next? Inmate teacher aides?!

:wtf:

[salin]

6. hmmm... drug offenses and *thefts*

along with ... inmates will respond to all emergencies.

[toddwv]

8. Looks like the South WILL rise again.

Slavery is bad...just bad. Zero redeeming qualities... none at all.

Stupid, stupid idea.

[NightWatcher]

9. Why not have the State Slaves pick all those crops rotting since the Mexicans left?

[aquart]

11. Seriously, why not? They make license plates, run call centers, sew clothes...

I'd prefer they use high school students but I really don't give a damn. This is our FOOD.

[aquart]

10. Yes, people want convicted felons rescuing their property.

I'm sure that would work out well.

And there's no chance of escape during the fire, of course.

[Matariki]

12. Yeah. Slave Prison Labor.

Or is it a training program that will put them in good stead when they get out of prison? Conflicted.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Torn and I will tell you why

when I was working in EMS a few counties in rural OH had a very succesful program with very low risk immates. They were trained in EMS and Fire Services and responded to them. When they left prison they usually had jobs lined up, and recidivism was very low... of course program was cut with cuts...

Now somehow I do not expect this to be the goal of this, but to reduce costs to near zero... but the unintended consequences might be lower recidivism.

[1776Forever]

14. I don't see why "inmates" should be used to take the place of qualified Firefighters

who are needed to protect our property and lives. If this goes through I like many others I see replying to this wonder just where it will stop! It is just one more assault on the middle-class and union busting and nearer to a 3rd World Country in my book!

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. As I said in OH it made sense

it was mostly volunteer fd, so none took any jobs from none.

In this case it will be a case of unintended if it develops that way.

[MindPilot]

16. The other side of making inmates fight fires...

is that it makes firefighters become prison guards. I suspect that if a firefighter wanted to be a prison guard, he would not be fighting fires.