It would be great if someone could develop and pass a means of finding ways to make the process actually work, especially if they could make it self sufficient. Our prisons do nothing in the line of real reform. Instead of crowding them in huge crime factories, I would love to see small facilities where they work 12 hours every day doing farm work or forestry. The only exception would be allowing 4 of those hours for getting an education.
The Oklahoma Penal system used to feed and cloth nearly 100% the inmates. The had large farms and feed pen operations. They also bought cloth and made the prison garb. Was this considered "Cruel and Unusual"?
Many of the prisoners wanted the work detail as it got them outside doing something. A form of disciple would be to remove an inmate from the farm detail.
Why can this not be implemented today? Of course not all inmates can be put on this detail as the escape risk is higher.
To get this back on track, maybe they could start a prison brewery.