Prisons shouldn’t profit from its inhabitants

The Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison is true to its reputation - a maximum security facility that is designed to house the worst of the worst. It's also the oldest prison west of the Mississippi.

I got to see this daunting fortress in person, because I have a loved one there. ISP will be my brother's home for the rest of his life.

Having said that, is it necessary for state institutions to profit on items they sell within the walls?

Prison systems originated to serve the public's best interest, not to provide a breeding ground for private businesses or state institutions to take advantage of the people they house. Regardless of what brought a person to be societally segregated, it does not mean that person has lost his or her humanity. Most of those incarcerated will one day return to the same communities they left. It makes more sense to use tax dollars to safeguard positive environments for re-entry into society as opposed to increasing anger levels.

Could it be that it's easier to take advantage of those who are already indigent? And since when do two wrongs make a right?

Becky Elson-Ehlts

Hendersonville, Tenn.