What criminals deserve and saves me money

I've had a thought stirring in the back of my mind since my long gone days of high school. The thought: of what jails should be like. It started when all of the "rehabilitation" rage came about, around 10yrs ago. I couldn't understand it, and I thought jail shouldn't be a place where you can work out, watch TV and get a degree. I thought jail was supposed to be a punishment.

My jail would look something like this: a large field in the mid-west, 20 foot high fence topped with barbed wire, crows nests ever 100 meters, and pup tents. Yes, pup tents. Just like the ones everyone got issued in the military. Actually, everyone got issued half of one, then you put it together with your buddy's half to make one tent. Then, you both slid inside, just enough room for the two of you with a ruck under your head. Oh, I'd give them wool blankets, too. No gyms, no TV, no advanced education.

I've never understood the concept of rewarding people for committing crimes. That's why they are there, right? They did something that required jail time. We aren't talking about running a red light here. Men and women in the military sleep in tents. Why can't criminals? Oh, men and women in the military volunteered you say? Military personnel joined of their own free will? True. But didn't the criminal conduct a crime of their own free will? Didn't the drug dealer sell drugs of his own free will?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that jails are day spas (although some low security places could give some a run for their money). What I am saying is that I don't appreciate having my tax dollars going to a criminal's bachelor's degree while he's in prison. I wonder how much money would be saved a year in the US, if the expensive prisons were closed and we went to my type of prison system. There would be no electricity bills and we could feed them T-rats (you've got to try them, they're delicious!). If they want to work out, they can do push ups.