> Yet, keeping someone locked up in an unproductive cage, to watch them wither away is somehow "rehabilitating" them.

I don't think most people claim its rehabilitation. I think the "rehabilitation" angle is political word play and would bet that most people who support harsh prison sentences see it (and support it) as punishment.

There's an element of doublethink, yes. But the entire system pretends to be about rehabilitation. The language is everywhere. Even prisons are "correctional facilities". It's troublesome because it makes it difficult to have a conversation about actual rehabilitation.

Interesting question - why is the "political wordplay" even necessary?

Many Prisoners are used as a source of virtually free labor already. Unfortunately this is being done as exploitation, without regard to how it may help or harm the prisoners used.

Not just you would argue indentured servitude should be at least an option:

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

> I would argue indentured servitude is a valid way to go, but it makes people uncomfortable because they see it as slavery

I don't see any discomfort presently, even though the constitution exempts prisoners from protection against slavery.The Thirteenth Amendment, Section 1: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."[1]

1. Stolen from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2037139

> I would argue indentured servitude is a valid way to go, but it makes people uncomfortable because they see it as slavery.

It's just slavery with extra steps.

Extra steps? I'm not sure I follow.

It's a Rick and Morty (TV show) reference.

EDIT: 02x06 - The Ricks Must Be Crazy, it's a very good ep.