[valkyrie]

I'd be curious to hear what "special privileges" these family members are discussing. Without knowing that, it's hard for me to say one way or the other. I think it's a great idea for inmates to be able to get education of any kind, and whatever mental health or substance abuse treament they need. They should also have access to weights and equipment for working out so they can stay healthy if they want. Eventually, most inmates are going to be released, and I would hope that we, as a society, would want them to be released as healthy, educated individuals.

If inmates don't have constructive things to do with their days, what do you think they're doing all day? I'll tell you, because I see it happen with my clients all the time when they're in county jail (where there are very, very few privileges of any kind) -- they get in fights, and sit around and do nothing, which is doing absolutely nothing to help them become better people after they are released. I'm not saying that it's the county's job to entertain them, but I do think we could definitely do more to try to help them become better people and law abiding citizens.

I'm a little annoyed by the statment that inmates "don't deserve the same privileges that free citizens enjoy." I'd like to hear more from whoever said that on the show. The same privileges? Good lord, inmates are LOCKED UP. They are living in a cell, eating when they are told to eat and do not have one of the most basic rights -- freedom, the right to go where they want and do what they want. IMHO, that alone is a pretty big deal. What more do these people want to take away from inmates?

And as a side note, to anyone who thinks that inmates should be treated more badly than they already are (keeping in mind that there are plenty of places, such as Cook County, Illinois, that have a long history of inmates being physically abused by guards and police) -- I would just say this: YOU could be a prisoner tomorrow. You could be falsely accused of a crime and put in jail. It's entirely possible. How would you want to be treated while you were there? What privileges would you want?