With the U.S. populace fearful of where the government will release the Gitmo detainees coupled with the growing national prison system dilemma, a solution emerged in my somewhat fevered brain. While channel surfing, I ran across a really awful movie called "Escape from New York," which in turn reminded me of a really great movie "Papillon." Both are based on island prisons. One is pure fiction while the other is based on the French penal colony called Devil's Island. We have lots of islands in the southern Aleutian chain. All we have to do is select two; build housing equipped with mess halls; periodically drop off food, clothing and other necessities; and set the prisoners free. With the exception of a Coast Guard patrol boat roaming around the islands, nothing else is needed. The icy cold ocean would provide the best prison bars in the world. As far as the prisoners, all would be free on American soil to do as they pleased whenever and wherever they pleased. I admit some would probably face hazard by their fellow islanders (both convicts and Kodiak bears), but they would be forced to depend on each other -- there's nothing like bonding. Actually, two remote islands would be needed -- one for the men and another for the women. There would be fishing, time to contemplate, cultivate crops of all kinds, play intramural baseball and football or read books during daylight. Electricity would not be possible, but, hey, it wasn't available in large parts of the U.S. until the '20s and '30s. Actually, without 8 x 10 cells, the island prisons would be really humane.
That is until the President's plane accidently crashes on the island and we have to call in Snake Pliskin to save him and the crucial data he is holding from the Duke of Kodiak.
isnt this the same thing as prison...they're being released for being wrongfully imprisoned and held against their basic human rights, so putting them on an island would only be changing the where they're being held, doesn't help anything
Send them all to where ever they want to go as long as that country is willing to take them. Other wise send to their home country. End of story.
If a detainee is found innocent, then he or she should be released to his or her native country. As far as normal convicts, let them enjoy the freedom of island life.
First, Gitmo is already on an island. Second, the only US populace fearful of where the government will release detainees are the geezers who listen to talk radio and actually believe that detainees would be released in their neighborhood.
First, the whole isle of Cuba is not open to prisoners or U.S. personnel Second, convicts roaming the Southern Aleutians would give us old geezers peace of mind or, conversely, would give us no reason to worry. BTW, I never listen to political talk radio.
A verdict one way or the other in a trial either by military tribunal or by U.S. courts would be acceptable to me, but I'm only one voice in a cacophony of opinions.
Yeah, but you also have a lot of young fogeys who have the same beliefs. The real problems is that Gitmo probably turned some of the innocent into terrorists. The real terrorists will of course be held in prisons of which we already have about 5-10 x's what we need.
This is true. What would you do if you were innocent and someone lock you up with terrorist for years? Would you start to believe your terrorist cell mates?
Don't forget, these island prisons would be for ALL convicted felons, not just convicted terrorists. If a person is innocent, he or she shouldn't be detained ... or incarcerated ... period. However, convicted terrorists and felons alike would be free. The death penalty could be abolished. Of course, the downside is that there would be a reduction of jobs in state and federal penal systems.
I would bring these people in to Detroit and force them to work on the assembly line for no compensation. This will boost Ford/Chrysler/GM's profits while at the same time breaking the backs of the labor unions which have crippled the industry with outrageous wages and minimal productivity. It's a win win solution for America.
Where do you get your wonderful ideas TJ? Oh, that's right... there was once a regime in Germany that used prison labor.
