This is madness. Period. Something is being done fundamentally wrong and going catastrophically too far. Simply building more prisons is not a solution.

And the fact the convicts are not given vitamins and other essential nutrients supplements has always seemed ridiculous and outrageous to me. Simply terminating them could be more humane than keeping them junk-fed letting their bodies and brains decay freely, taking not just their freedom but also their health (including mental health) away from them. This is not a way you can cure people from their behaviour disorders.

> Average USA cost to keep one inmate locked up for a year: $31,000

By the way, any person that would earn this much a year is considered rich in Eastern Europe and Russia, the majority of people there live on less than $1000/month and those of them who care about health still get all the vitamin/mineral/aminoacid supplements and sound healthcare they need (+ education, sport, yoga/minfulness classes, entertainment, travelling, living etc) . Needless to say almost none of the people who earn $1000/month or more are prone to commit felony there (unless they drink a way too much booze), they just live happily usually as they have everything they need, feel safe and satisfied. This suggests that just giving the $31,000 or less to a man will probably do much better for him and the society than spending it on keeping him in the dreadful conditions described in the article. This reminds me of the idea of basic income again...