Cats for Cons
I have an idea to improve prison conditions in a unique way. Prison inmates who show good behavior should be permitted to adopt a cat and keep it with them. They’d have to take care of the cat, feeding and watering and litter-scooping and so on, but the cat would stay with them and go with them on discharge. This would promote responsibility, as well as providing emotional support and increasing compassion and connection, traits which are hard to develop in prison. Dogs require too much upkeep and outside time, as well as being a potential safety hazard. Cats are more independent, as well as more comfortable with a small, enclosed environment – plus, no one’s siccing a cat on a guard. There are a ton of cats in this country who need homes, and this would provide a welcome alternative to euthanization. It would also provide an incentive for inmates to practice good behavior – if an inmate knows they can earn a fluffy companion to make their sentence easier, they are lik...