Prison Reform for a New Generation

Last night, I was having dinner with a couple of dear old friends. During the flow of conversation, one (or both) of them introduced me to an interesting proposal vis a vis the nature of criminal reform.

It seems that many prisoners take up weightlifting during their sentences and emerge, when their time is done, as powerhouse bodybuilders. Meanwhile, they have been learning all manner of skills with various & sundry tools and instruments. This means, once they re-enter society, our streets become populated by muscled-up sociopaths with mad skills. Super criminals! Is this really what we need?

My friends' suggestion was that we supply them, instead, with x-boxes and/or wiis (or whatever the kids are using these days), plenty of marijuana and the paraphernalia with which to smoke it, and tons of the obligatory munchies (like cheese doodles, pizza, and twinkies). Then, when the prisoner in question is released, he (or she) has become soft and sedentary, a challenge to nobody. An inert blob.

The main drawback (which I pointed out to my worthy compadres) is that slackers everywhere will break the law so as to gain entrance into what they might view as a sort of paradise. They get to laze around on Uncle Sam's nickel, playing Guitar Hero, getting high, and gobbling down unhealthy foods.

Obviously, there are some bugs to be worked out. But the proposal is on the table and I think it deserves consideration.

What do you think?