Carlene

I don't know, but I would hope that any surplus money generated by the labor of convicts would go toward educating the prisoners themselves. I really think that is the most effective way to reduce recidivism. I had a Sociology instructor in college who taught primarily criminal justice courses, so we got a huge dose of that with our Sociology curriculum. He always emphasized that crime is a young man's game and given a few years and a decent education, most prisoners are perfectly capable of becoming model citizens. I think he was 100% right. When I was very young, I dated a boy whose father drank, and whose mother died suddenly when he was in high school. He knocked around for a few years, then ended up in trouble with the law (for forgery). He served two years in a state prison, where he learned sheet metal fabrication. After he was released, he got a job and has worked there for the last 35 years. In a way, prison was the best thing that ever happened to him. Prison is not all about punishment....it is (or should be) equally concerned with rehabilitation.

He's just yanking your chain, Funny D.

Texas may be unique, in that it has a prison system that is almost self-supporting. We have prison farms that grow most of the food served to state prisoners. The prisoners used to grow the cotton that was, in turn, used to make their clothing. In addition, the state contracts for all kinds of "outside" work. About 20 years ago I lived in a small town in East Texas and one summer a crew of convicts came and removed all the seats from the high school auditorium, took them to Huntsville and refinished them, then brought the seats back and reinstalled them - looking brand new. I can assure you that being a resident of the Texas Dept of Corrections is no vacation. I used to be involved in a prison ministry and have visited "the walls" in Huntsville - the old, original state prison. First of all, there is no AC...in Texas. Secondly, it is dismal personified. And finally, there are no big screen TVs and only rudimentary health care. A prisoner with an abscessed tooth is given antibiotics and then, a week or so later, scheduled for an extraction. Pain killers are rarely prescribed - for anything. Now federal prisons are a whole other ballgame. They are much nicer, and much more likely to be full of white collar Yuppies who crossed a line somewhere. So if you are thinking of crime as a free ride at the taxpayers expense, go for the gusto.....commit a federal offense.

One of the biggest problems with capital punishment, from my point of view, is the oops factor....those instances wherein men/women are executed, then later determined to be not guilty. And I realize it is probably a small percentage....still, if it were YOU, that wouldn't matter, would it? One fatal error is one too many, IMHO.

Inside Jobs -- Convict Rehab or Corporate Slavery? Black Voice News, News Report, Chris Levister, Posted: Aug 07, 2006 If you think prison inmates only make license plates, you're behind the times. As a child Ayana Cole dreamed of becoming a world class fashion designer. Today she is among hundreds of inmates crowded in an Oregon prison factory cranking out designer jeans. For her labor she is paid 45 cents an hour. At a chic Beverly Hills boutique some of the beaded creations carry a $350 price tag. In fact the jeans labeled "Prison Blues" - proved so popular last year that prison factories couldn't keep up with demand. At a San Diego private-run prison factory Donovan Thomas earns 21 cents an hour manufacturing office equipment used in some of LA's plushest office towers. In Chino Gary's prison sewn T-shirts are a fashion hit. Hundreds of prison generated products end up attached to trendy and nationally known labels like No Fear, Lee Jeans, Trinidad Tees, and other well known U.S. companies. After deductions, many prisoners like Cole and Thomas earn about $60 for an entire month of nine-hour days. In short, hiring out prisoners has become big business. And it's booming. At CMT Blues housed at the Maximum Security Richard J. Donovan State Correctional Facility outside San Diego, the highly prized jobs pay minimum wage. Less than half goes into the inmates' pockets. The rest is siphoned off to reimburse the state for the cost of their incarceration and to a victim restitution fund. The California Department of Corrections and CMT Blues owner Pierre Sleiman say they are providing inmates with job skills, a work ethic and income. In addition, he says prisoners offer the ultimate in a flexible and dependable work force. "If I lay them off for a week," said Sleiman, referring to his workers, "I don't have to worry about someone else coming and saying, ‘Come work for me.' " For the tycoons who have invested in the prison industry, it has been like finding a pot of gold. They don't have to worry about strikes or paying unemployment, health or worker's comp insurance, vacation or comp time. All of their workers are full time, and never arrive late or are absent because of family problems; moreover, if prisoners refuse to work, they are moved to disciplinary housing and lose canteen privileges. Most importantly, they lose "good time" credit that reduces their sentence. Today, there are over 2 million people incarcerated in the US, more than any other industrialized country. They are disproportionately African-American and Latino. The nation's prison industry now employees nearly three quarters of a million people, more than any Fortune 500 corporation, other than General Motors. Mushrooming construction has turned the industry into the main employer in scores of depressed cities and towns. A host of firms are profiting from private prisons, prison labor and services like transportation, farming and manufacturing. Prisoners now manufacture everything from blue jeans, to auto parts, to electronics and furniture. Honda has paid inmates $2 an hour for doing the same work an auto worker would get paid $20 to $30 an hour to do. Konica has used prisoners to repair copiers for less than 50 cents an hour. Toys ‘R' Us once used prisoners to restock shelves, and Microsoft to pack and ship software. Clothing made in California and Oregon prisons competes so successfully with apparel made in Latin America and Asia that it is exported to other countries. In most states prisoners receive little of the money they earn working either for state-run or private sector corrections firms such as the Corrections Corporations of America (CCA) and Wackenhut. The labor prisoners perform is often considerably cheaper than in the outside world. Case in point, Texas-based Lockhart Technologies closed its Austin plant and fired some 150 workers who constructed circuit boards because it could relocate those jobs to a Wackenhut-run prison where detainees did the work for minimum wage.

Still and all, I sometimes miss one of the posters who was banned. She started some of the best threads on the whole forum!

It's been a law for a few years now.... China Turns One-Child Policy into Law China's so-called "one-child" policy was officially adopted as law. The new law is known as the Law on Population and Family Planning, 2002. The previous policy gained its name from the one-child per couple norm that China’s government has encouraged since 1979, although both the old policy and the new law contain limited exceptions to the "one-child" rule. The shift marks an important change in China's approach to population control, as it brings the greater legal force of legislation into an arena that has been fraught with abuse and inconsistently applied features. On its face, the previous "one-child" policy was intended to address the Chinese government’s concern over its growing population. But the policy had often been viewed as somewhat of an anomaly—as it simultaneously increased access to reproductive health services, particularly contraception, yet essentially impeded individual freedom by taking away a woman’s right to control her own fertility. Last week’s shift from policy to law should increase scrutiny over the efficacy of China’s law and the long term human rights implications of trying to enforce such stringent family planning measures. "The new law has some positive, women-friendly features, but it is fraught with inconsistent and contradictory restrictions that ultimately compromise women’s freedom and equality," said Melissa Upreti, the Center for Reproductive Rights' Legal Adviser for Asia. "Chinese women are required to bear a disproportionate burden of their country’s development goals at the expense of their human rights," she continued. The Center for Reproductive Rights is finalizing an analysis of both the beneficial and potentially dangerous aspects of this law, a briefing paper that will be released in fall 2002. In the interim, the following are some of the positive and potentially problematic features of the new law: Positive features of the new law: Requires population and family planning activities to proceed hand in hand with efforts aimed at educating women, providing jobs, improving women’s health and improving women’s status Prohibits discrimination against and the maltreatment of women who give birth to female children and women who are infertile Bans discrimination against, and maltreatment and abandonment of, female infants Calls for special labor protections, including assistance and compensation, for women during pregnancy and childbirth and when they are breast-feeding Requires not only wives but also husbands, to bear the responsibility of family planning Discourages early marriage Requires schools to provide sex education Requires the state to create conditions for educating citizens and enabling them to select safe, effective and appropriate contraceptive measures and that guarantee the safety of people who undergo surgical sterilization Articulates the right of couples to enjoy free family planning services at state outlets Provides that family planning workers may be investigated and punished for infringing upon citizens’ personal rights and property; abusing their power; and seeking or accepting bribes Requires the state to advocate new family planning methods and to conduct research Problematic features of the new law: Upholds the one-child policy for married couples, allowing for a second child only if they fall within one of the few exceptions Prescribes having more than one child as a criminal act, punishable by way of a fine for those who do not fit within the limited exceptions Mandates the creation of "detailed population control" quotas in all family planning and population measures Creates ample access to family planning services for couples, but nowhere in the law are the rights of adolescents, or single people, to family planning services and information discussed and affirmed Prohibits sex determination and sex selective abortion Creates a scheme of incentives and disincentives by specifically rewarding parents who have one child, ( for example, by granting them preferential treatment in the administration of loans, poverty relief initiatives, and social welfare programs).

It's Farmers Branch, TX and the legislation, though passed by a huge margin in the local elections, has been challenged and reversed, awaiting appeal. It will likely be tied up in court for years.

Is there a Smilie of a happy face pelting someone with cheese balls? If not, there should be. NO CHEESE, Wavy.

Speaking of aliens....this is pretty scary: WASHINGTON - One in four younger U.S. Muslims say suicide bombings to defend their religion are acceptable at least in some circumstances, though most Muslim Americans overwhelmingly reject the tactic and are critical of Islamic extremism and al-Qaida, a poll says. The survey by the Pew Research Center, one of the most exhaustive ever of the country’s Muslims, revealed a community that in many ways blends comfortably into society. Its largely mainstream members express nearly as much happiness with their lives and communities as the general public does, show a broad willingness to adopt American customs, and have income and education levels similar to others in the U.S. Even so, the survey revealed noteworthy pockets of discontent. While nearly 80 percent of U.S. Muslims say suicide bombings of civilians to defend Islam can not be justified, 13 percent say they can be, at least rarely. That sentiment is strongest among those younger than 30. Two percent of them say it can often be justified, 13 percent say sometimes and 11 percent say rarely. “It is a hair-raising number,” said Radwan Masmoudi, president of the Washington-based Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, which promotes the compatibility of Islam with democracy.

I should have been more specific, I guess. I was underscoring your statement, and pointing out that the employer is responsible for making sure all employees have acceptable documentation. "I thought he was legal" is not a defense.

It's actually very difficult, and a long, time-consuming, expensive process to obtain the coveted "green card". And the fewer your assets, the less likely you are to be granted legal status, either to work or visit.

While it's illegal for undocumented immigrants to work in the United States, they are allowed to file federal taxes with an Individual Tax Payer Identification number (ITIN), instead of a Social Security number, provided by the Internal Revenue Service. You have a system for the workers to pay taxes, but you also have a system where employers who hire them are breaking the law. In 2005, 1.6 million ITIN applications, along with 1.4 million tax filings, were submitted to the Internal Revenue Service. The number of returns tied to ITINs is up 40 percent since 2004, according to a testimony earlier this year by IRS commissioner Mark W. Everson before the House Ways and Means Committee.

If you work in HR or any position where you are responsible for hiring people, you have to fill out an Employment Eligibility Verification form and keep it in their personnel file. They have to have: one List A document—establishes both identity and work authorization OR one List B document—to establish identity AND one List C document— to establish work eligibility I always made copies of the documents and put them in with the I9.

Breasts are not a speed bump to the promised land. Yes, we want you to be more verbal. No, burping doesn't count. Kissing is something that you need to stay engaged in, even if all the blood is rushing out of your head and into other parts of your body. If we're crying and you're holding us and get a hard-on, we automatically deduct points. And getting a boner while we're sleeping next to you is not an excuse to wake us up. This is not what they mean by serendipity. We pay closer attention to your hands than you think. It's bad enough if you don't have manly hands, but if your nails are longer than ours, forget it. You don't get a vote in the preferred shape of our pubic hair. Until you've had hot wax poured all over your crotch, you're merely a passenger on that flight. Even a private plane will not make up for the fact that you have bad breath. Text messaging is for children and people who are having affairs. Don't be either. If you just listen and let her cry, it will lead to deep, wet, soulful sex. If you like that kind of thing. We like younger men for the same reasons you like younger women. There are two spots on women that need to be touched more: the back of the neck and the lower back. Fireworks. You know that thing about men being hunters? We don't buy that as an excuse to screw around. Don't try to figure us out. We don't even understand ourselves. Just think of us as a complex carbohydrate that's good for you. We need you. Because a vibrating piece of plastic can't kiss. Crying and saying you're sorry for calling us Halle Berry during sex still doesn't make it okay. We can't have sex without expecting a call from you the next day. You may consider a root canal less painful, but this much is true, no matter the woman: We sincerely want to talk about how you feel. Under the right circumstances, like after you surprise us with a foot massage, we are willing to consider your newfound beer belly a sexy addition. Looks don't matter. That much. We think it's okay if you get fat and go bald. Please do us the same courtesy. When we say we "almost tried that in college," it means we did. At least twice. When we start getting undressed in front of you with the lights on, it means we've lost interest. No, that is not our clitoris, but please -- keep trying. If you're funny, we will sleep with you. Remember in old movies when women used to swoon and "take to the bed" for days at a time? That never happens. We're stronger than that. That being said, if we ever decide to "take to the bed" for days at a time, there's not a thing you can do about it. Superskinny women really irritate us. We hate when they say, "Sometimes I just forget to eat." Now, I've forgotten my anniversary and where I parked my car. But I've never forgotten to eat. We do like to have sex, just not at midnight when we have to get up at the crack of dawn to feed two kids, three dogs, and a pair of fat goldfish. We'll gladly agree to stop complaining about our "time of the month" if men will kindly take over the little chores of childbearing, morning sickness, and postpartum emotional swings. Deal? Women really do want to be on time. It's just that everything starts so darned early. We know high heels are sexy, but we'll take our comfy black Uggs any day of the week. Homespun wisdom from someone who knows: Just because we're southern belles doesn't mean we have bats in our belfries. We really do like to cook. It's just that we cooked so much for our boyfriends before we got married that we're sick of being in the kitchen. Sorry you missed it. Women produce half the world's food but own only 1 percent of its farmland. So we're fine with you picking up the tab. And after about three thousand dinners at really good restaurants, we should be even. Women remember everything . Don't believe me? Ask your girlfriend where you met. She won't tell you it was at a party. She'll say it was a Thursday, she had just come from dinner, where she ate a veggie burger, and she was wearing her friend Cathy's pink top, which was big on her because Cathy is a big girl. You were wearing a blue button-down, drinking a Jack and Coke with two straws, and talking to Bill, that mutual friend. She waved and you gave her the "what's up" nod. This still infuriates her. ("How could you give me the nod?") We think it's weird when you watch sports and concentrate to help your team.

Same thing here....not only was I not fat when my old photo was taken, but I was 5 years younger! I'm keeping it until they tell me I have to have it redone.

If you want your DL pic retaken, just go back to the DMV and tell them you lost your ID. They will charge you a small fee, but you will get a new photo.

I agree. How condescending....the very idea that you can't possibly know your own mind!

And sometimes, bad behavior causes a new little person to appear. In which case, baby-daddy needs to suck it up and pay his child support, without whining and whimpering about being "trapped", "tricked", etc. It is pretty much common knowledge these days that every one of us is the result of a single act of intercourse. You pay your nickel (or unzip your pants, as the case may be) and take your chances. Green's co-workers need to find a 12 step program to deal with their sex addiction, perhaps. Or invest in some very high quality condoms. Or they could postpone sex until they actually know a little bit about the young woman whose life is about to change forever - just until the two of them have had a chance to discuss things like environmental responsibility and maybe the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy. Pro-choice means pro-choice. Not pro-abortion. And if the woman gets to choose, and her choice isn't "fair" to the man....oh, well. Sometimes it sucks to be a woman, and sometimes it sucks to be a guy. Deal with it, fellas.

I live in Texas, so the illegal alien issue is a real hot button topic. Even the Republican congressmen are voting against this new law. The border states will never cozy up to the idea of another amnesty fiasco. The USA is a minority in that we recognize anyone born here as a citizen. Most countries do not. And we should probably reconsider the practice. It's a shame that we have to take such a hard stand against our fellow man, but we can't be all things to all people. And our Social Security system is so screwed up already, this bill would push it over the edge, I'm afraid. I don't know what George Bush is smoking these days....maybe Mexican reefers?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I think it's the doctor's discretion, not a requirement. My DH's surgeon required that I sign. My brother got a vasectomy without his wife's knowledge or permission. She filed for divorce....that's how mad she was.

If "they" means everyone who supports the ban on partial birth abortion, then you are very mistaken. Many people - myself included - feel that abortion is not right, but the decision to abort or not isn't ours unless it's our body that's pregnant....late term abortions excepted. Once an unborn baby is viable, I think it's entitled to some protection under the law. And it is, in fact, afforded that protection in all circumstances except abortion. As many have pointed out, if you kill a pregnant woman you can be charged with a double homicide. If the mother survives and the baby does not - even if she was on her way to an abortion clinic when you killed her - you can still be charged for the death of the unborn child. So society already has stepped up to the plate with regard to rights of the unborn. It's only the mom who has the right to kill an unborn child - no one else. I understand that. But mom needs to decide early on if she wants to do that or not, instead of waiting until the 11th hour. Either that or all women who kill their kids should be automatically exonerated. If we are going to allow abortion right up to the moment of birth, then we might as well go whole hog. Retroactive abortion.....for the woman who can't quite make up her mind.

They are....but you have done the same, only in reverse. Your comments repeatedly refer to the fraction of abortions (presumably early abortions) performed so that a woman can "fit into a bikini". You ignored the issue at hand.....partial birth abortion.

Sally Jo... My late husband was a liver transplant candidate at Baylor Dallas and I know what you mean about the program and the staff - they are marvelous. I will say a prayer for your daughter....for you, too.

I have an antique Topaz necklace - not sure how antique, but my great aunt Anna's husband gave it to her and they were married in 1925 (he died in 1958). I say it's Topaz because that's what she (my auntie) told me it was. I have never worn it because frankly, it's not my taste. Should I have it checked out by a jeweler?