Could "chain gangs" work in Detroit?

[Magnatomicflux]

With all the money troubles the city has.....wouldn't it be a cash saver to put all these prisoners to work? Isn't it time they gave something back to the city they've taken so much from? Taking graffiti off of the walls, cutting and cleaning up the parks and overgrown, abandoned feilds, helping community centers and churches with lawn care or basic maintenance? There's a whole list of things they could take care of that would help them learn a trade and prepare them for real life.I've seen that some human rights activists think this is modern slavery,inhumane. Others that think you're endangering the public by putting hundreds of criminals in the parks and neighbourhoods. Why do it when they have work programs right in the prison doing laundry and stuff like that.I don't really see it that way though. Slavery? IWhatever...they're in prison, they're criminals. They have raped and pillaged the city, they owe the people as a whole, not just the ones they victimized. Inhumane? Noone will be asking them to do anything any honest, hard working citizen isn't doing already.Endangering the community? Well...they won't be out there by themselves, right?I guess chaining them together could potentially be a safety concern for them...but there has to be a way to keep them under control. How about the good ol' ball and chain and a couple guards with shotguns or rifles? That should do just fine.I think it would help most re-intergate into society. Who's going to be able to go from constant 6x8 to freedom in a normal way? It just makes them harder to deal with when they're released when you remove them from interacting with society for years at a time. Maybe it would give them a sense of community and a willingness to want it to stay nice and safe after they see how much damage they've caused by being out there and experiencing what kind of energy is required repairing the damage.I don't know...it's just a thought. What are yours?