@ibstubro ”“Roads, police, fire departments, etc, are taxpayer funded”, and, as a taxpayer, I pay for them, @Darth_Algar. As my wealth increases, so does my contribution, yet the benefits are equal to everyone.”
Yes, that’s the cost of living in a stable, wealthy society.
*“How do pay-per-view video prison chats benefit the common good? I can’t video chat, as I’m ineligible for high speed internet. Why would I pay for someone else to have the privilege?
More importantly, where do you draw the line, if taxpayers are footing the bill for ‘extras’? I’m sure the privately funded prisons are willing to build theaters if the taxpayers are willing to pay $15 a head for the prisoners admission.”*
It’s part of rehabilitation. Rehabilitation cuts down on recidivism. Less recidivism benefits society. Sure we could treat inmates like animals and make prisons as harsh as possible. The only thing that accomplishes, however, is to turn people into animals. Increasingly violent animals. When we release our inmates back into society do we want rehabbed people who feel hopeful and want to become productive members of society? Or do we want violent animals?
Don’t mistake me, I’m not saying inmates should be entitled to video chats or anything like that. But if they’re going to be available in the prisons they should be incentivized, not monetized. Present them as a reward for good behavior, not as a commodity to be sold to people who cannot afford it and and have little to no option otherwise.