I feel like the ultimate goal really should be getting people to a place where they’re not going to commit further crimes and harm their communities again, and I don’t think just trying to punish people into that is effective. More often than not punished people just sink further into their own misery and keep pushing out and hurting others.

That all being said, I do think the experience of helping a community like this could be a positive one that could actually improve people’s behavior in a lasting way. Minus the coercion and the life threatening conditions, I support volunteering opportunities for prison inmates.