So...people on welfare are the same as those in jail?

I dated someone who went to prison for a short time. He had tasks, and earned $7 an hour to do them. These went towards paying off his fine, which shortened his jail stay. Good incentive to work. Minimum security.

Crime? Forgetting to renew his car insurance the year before, and he was nabbed when coming back from overseas through Canada customs.

Joe's jail would have been totally pointless.