Building a Better Thug? (3/16 Wed)

[sunny]

Hi my dearest friends, it's Sunny.

We're going to discuss the management of prison. The movie“The Shawshank Redemption”(刺激1995) is undoubtedly the best film I have ever seen. Similar to“The Green Mile” in many respects, these two movies have proved that Stephen King is a master not only of horror but also of prose that shakes the soul and touches the heart....Just imagine if you were the prisoner, how do you face the world surrounding you?

Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free. Now, let's set free and discuss on Wednesday!



Building a Better Thug?

Incensed over muscle bound ex-cons, Milwaukee wants to ban pumping iron among its prison.

Time. Apr. 11, 1994 by Jon D. Hull


Inmates at the Milwaukee county House of Correction still talk about Big Amp, a legend who bench-pressed 460 Ibs. last June, setting a new prison record. Big Amp is back on the streets, but he has a lot of wannabes back at the prison's large gym, which is equipped with dozens of assorted free weights and two Universal machines. Among his admirers: Jarmaine Maggit, 23, who is serving 14 months for battery. When Maggit arrived last May, he could bench only 135 Ibs. Now he's up to 325 Ibs., earning a spot on a wall chart listing members of the 300-Ib. club of Barbarian Bench Beasts. Showing off his 16-in. biceps, Maggit says, “I feel really powerful.”

This has raised a novel question. Why are taxpayers in Milwaukee and elsewhere subsidizing what could be considered the largest health-club chain in the nation, allowing tens of thousands of otherwise scrawny murders, muggers and rapists to transform themselves into muscle monsters? The issue so incensed Milwaukee County supervisors that they voted 13 to 10 last month to ban weight lifting in the county's 1400-inmate prison, a move they hope will ignite a nationwide campaign against the cult of prison body-building. Says Roger Quindel, a sponsor of the ban and an amateur weight lifter: “Allowing these guys to bulk up in prison is so stupid! Do we really want stronger criminals? I'd rather buy then computers and then let them do calisthenics.”

Prison officials, however, don't follow the logic. Most correctional officers strongly oppose such a ban; Milwaukee prison officials are starting a petition drive against the supervisors' decision “Weight lifting is a tool to help control the inmates, ” says Jeff Mayer, security manager at the House of Correction. Currently, inmates are allowed only 50 min a day in the gym, which leaves plenty of time for more cerebral pursuits. Those who avoid prison violations for at least 30 days earn extra time to pump iron, while troublemakers are denied barbell privileges. Says Sergeant Andrew Lammers, the gym director: “If inmates who bulk up become predatory, we won’t let them lift”

What about the behemoths who get out? “Most of them just shrivel up on the streets,” says Lammers, who has 16 in. biceps and benches 325 Ibs. Deputy superintendent Levbaldwin thinks it's unfair to single out weight lifting as criminal empowerment. “What's the difference,” he asks, “between allowing them to get big muscles or letting them do aerobics so they can snatch purses and run faster?” The inmates themselves chuckle at the notion that biceps are a crook's best friends. Says prisoner Philip Shaw, 31, who resorts to 1000 push –ups a day when he's not allowed in the gym: “You don't go into a bank and flex your muscles and say,” ‘Give me your money.’”

The proposed ban is now on the county executive's desk awaiting approval;. If it is adopted, prison officials have already rejected the idea of trading in their barbells for StairMaster and NordicTracks. “The inmates won't touch that stuffs, scoffs Lammers. Inmates and guards are bracing for trouble. Says Maggit: “All hell will break loose.” ThighMaster, anyone?



造就更強壯的歹徒?肌肉壯碩的前科犯使密爾瓦基居民感到憤怒，希望禁止囚犯練習舉重
密爾基瓦郡立監獄的囚犯仍在談論傳奇人物大安普，他去年六月在舉重椅上舉起460磅，打破監獄紀錄。大安普現已出獄，但在監獄的大健身房裡，有很多人想向他看齊，健身房裡有數十種各式各樣、免費使用的舉重器和兩台環球牌全能健身器。他的崇拜者中有一位是23歲的賈曼. 馬吉特，因傷害罪被判服刑14個月。馬吉特去年5月入獄時只能舉起135磅，現在已經到325磅了，並成為「野蠻舉重椅野獸」300磅俱樂部的一員。馬吉特炫耀他16吋的二頭肌，並說﹕「我覺得自己力大無窮」。

這引起一個新的問題，那就是密爾瓦基和其他地方的納稅人，為何要付錢贊助這個可堪稱美國最大的連鎖健康俱樂部，使數萬名原本瘦弱的殺人犯、搶劫犯和強暴犯可以變成渾身肌肉的怪物? 這個問題使密爾瓦基郡的督察人員十分憤怒，因此他們在上個月以13對10的投票結果，禁止郡立監獄1400名犯人舉重，而且他們希望能夠引發全國性的運動，阻止囚犯在監獄健身的潮流。發起這項禁令的業餘舉重手羅傑. 昆戴爾說﹕「讓這些犯人在監獄裡練出一身肌肉是愚蠢的作法! 我們真的要罪犯變得更強壯嗎? 我寧願為他們買電腦，然後讓他們做體操。」

不過，獄方官員不贊同這種說法。多數獄方官員強烈反對這項禁令; 密爾瓦基監獄的官員正發起請願，以推翻督察人員的決定。監獄的安全官傑夫. 梅爾說: 「舉重是協助我們控制囚犯的工具。」目前犯人每天只能在健身房待50分鐘，還有很多時間可以從事腦力活動。至少三十天沒有違規紀錄的犯人才能得到更多的舉重時間，不守規矩的人則不能練習舉重。健身房負責人員安德魯.普茲警官說:「如果練的強壯的犯人開始欺負別人，我們就不讓他們練習。」

那已經出獄的壯碩囚犯怎麼辦? 擁有16吋二頭肌，可舉起325磅的萊莫茲說﹕「多數人回到街上又垮下去了。」副典獄長賴夫. 鮑德溫認為，單單挑出舉重說它會助長犯罪是不公平的。他問道﹔「讓他們練出壯碩的肌肉，與讓他們做有氧運動以利他們在搶了皮包後快速逃離，有何差別?」囚犯則對肌肉健美有助於犯罪的觀念感到好笑。31歲的菲力普. 蕭在獄方不准他使用健身房時，每天做1000下伏地挺身，他表示﹕「歹徒不會走進銀行，鼓起肌肉後說﹕『把錢拿出來』!」

這項禁令正等待密爾基瓦行政官的批准。但即使禁令得已通過，獄方官員也已經拒絕將槓鈴換成爬梯健身器和滑雪軌道健身器。萊莫茲以嘲笑的口吻表示﹕「犯人不會碰那些玩意。」囚犯和警衛正在為可能會發生的問題預作防備，馬吉特說﹕「會鬧的天翻地覆。」有沒有人要練練大腿，到時候可以跑得快?

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you agree to ban pumping iron among the prisoners? Should a prison equip with any machines like weights (舉重器) ? Do you feel unsafe when those prisoners get stronger?

2. Moscow government newly builds a “luxury prison” with personal TV set and refrigerator—as long as the prisoner is willing to pay. Undoubtedly the rich can stay a more comfortable space. How do you think?

3. If you were the prison officer, what kind of facilities you would offer in the prison? Besides, how to educate your prisoners?

4. Compared with death penalty(死刑), do you think life imprisonment（終身監禁）is less brutal?

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[sunny]

Vocabulary


Thug (n.) 惡棍，打手
incense (v.) 激怒
ex-con (n.) 前科犯，即ex-convicted
pumping iron 舉重訓練
house of correction 懲戒所，監獄
bench-press 仰舉，躺在長椅上舉重
Ibs. 磅，即pounds
battery (n.) 傷害罪
biceps (n.) 二頭肌，臂肌
novel (a.) 本文解釋為「新奇的」
scrawny (a.) 瘦巴巴的
mugger (n.) 攻擊犯，搶劫犯
rapist (n.) 強姦犯
ignite (v.) 點燃
cult (n.) 流行
amateur (a.) 業餘的
bulk up 健壯起來
calisthenics (n.) 體操
petition (n.) 請願 / petition drive 請願運動
security manager (n.) 安全官
cerebral (a.) 腦力的
barbell (n.) 槓鈴
privilege (n.) 特權
sergeant (n.) 士官
predatory (a.) 會迫害別人的
behemoth (n.) 龐然巨獸，指壯碩的犯人
shrivel up 縮小，乾癟
deputy superintendent (n.) 副主管，代理負責人
criminal empowerment 助長犯罪
aerobics (n.) 有氧運動
chuckle (v.) 竊笑
notion (n.) 想法
crook (n) 惡徒
resort to 靠…辦法
push-up 伏地挺身
flex one’s muscles 鼓起肌肉
trade in 交換
StairMaster 廠牌名，爬梯健身器
NordicTrack 廠牌名，滑雪軌道健身器
scoff (v.) 嘲笑
ThighMaster 廠牌名，訓練大腿的健身器

[Roger]

補充幾個相關字彙,大家晚上見了!
啞鈴 dumbbell
仰臥起坐 sit-up
激怒 incense, infuriate, provoke, exasperate, enrage, aggravate
嘲笑 mock, scoff, sneer, make fun of,

[Wayne]

battery (n.) 傷害罪
battery 應該是"毆打"罪，但比assault”甘犯他人身體”罪要嚴重．battery必須有身體上的接觸，但assault不必．（漢譯簡明英國法律辭典）．

Merriam Webster Dictionary of Law：
assault: the crime or tort of trhreating or attempting to inflict immediate offensive physical contact or bodily harm that one has the present ability to inflict and that puts the victim in fear of such harm or contact.
battery:the crime or tort of intentionally or recklessly causing offensive physical contact or bodily harm (as by striking or by administering a poison or drug) that is consented to by the victim.

高雄市政府全球資訊網 警用英語http://www.kmph.gov.tw/en068.htm
assault 才是"傷害"罪(重傷害罪aggravated assault)

囚犯：inmate
牢房：cell
典獄長：warden

健身器材：gym equipment; strength equipment; Nautilus(商標名)
走路(跑步)機：treadmill
拉單槓：chin-up
健身（腳踏車)：stationary bike
划船機：rowing machine

勘誤：Ib是"手民誤植"；應該是lb (拉丁文libra之縮寫)才對．