Why should prisons be about punishment rather than rehabilitation?
The Purposes of Punishment:[^1]
- Incapacitation: prevents crime by removing a defendant from society.
- Rehabilitation: prevents crime by altering a defendant’s behavior.
- Retribution: prevents crime by giving victims or society a feeling of avengement.
- Restitution: prevents crime by punishing the defendant financially.
- Deterrence: Specific deterrence prevents crime by frightening an individual defendant with punishment. General deterrence prevents crime by frightening the public with the punishment of an individual defendant.
[^1]: https://open.lib.umn.edu/criminallaw/chapter/1-5-the-purpose...
I would much rather he be contributing to free software from behind bars. That's true more generally too. A plumber behind bars should be allowed to plumb. A carpenter to carpent.
Why shouldn't people in prison contribute back, if willing and able?
At most you are spending $200K divided by the total amount of tax levied multiplied by your share of that total. Probably less than $1.
Here: U+1F3C6
That said, I think at least part of it is related to risk to the outside population.
i.e. Inmates performing illegal activity or otherwise directing people on the outside to do so.
Yes, You can do that with phones and visits as well, however those are a bit easier to monitor.
I’m not saying that from a bleeding heart “prison should be a resort campout!” strawman perspective, but as someone who wishes people came out of prison kinder and more sociable than they went in.