Wind power is unreliable, as in it won't work 100% of the time (since the wind isn't always blowing outside of D.C.'s congressional halls). So I say put the generators, with handles instead of the long wings, in prisons.
I know the gut reaction: cruel and unusual.
Pay attention, my plan doesn't end there. I understand that this has been attempted before and that the prisoners endured intolerable conditions. However that does not mean we can't try again with improved conditions. People work in power plants all the time, why not prisoners? Here in Maine we have the highest electricity costs in the North East. This would be an effective way to lower costs immensely. Monetarily, creating the electricity would be free with my plan. The prisoners would be payed, but in credits, which I'll address later.
Now this work would not be required. It would be open to non-felons and felons who have had 10 years of good behavior. The yard, or the library doesn't pay the prisoner and so they earn nothing from it except pride just knowing they didn't sit in their cell all day wasting away.While long term that may help them, it doesn't give them something then and there to hold on to and it isn't a gaurantee of success once out of prison. This could give them something tangible. The payment, the value earned would be credits towards early release or parole. They would be earning their freedom. Freedom throughout history has never been free. An effort to gain and maintain freedom has always had a cost in effort, bravery, and even blood. This only calls for effort towards earning their freedom.
In the process of doing this they do not forget what it is to earn something. The prisoner could spend the credits towards better conditions: from private rooms, more time in the yard, or even an extra serving at the lunch the options are limitless. Or the prisoner could put them towards their release. Maybe even if they commit their credits towards release and nothing else it could be treated as a savings account and earn interest. What does this allow the prisoner to do? It allows them to not forget how to survive in society.
Recidivism is one of the plagues of our current criminal justice system. One of the stand-out social stereotypes, even if overplayed, does apply. It is the one of criminals leaving prison not knowing how to function in society. Prisoners are those who have been deemed dangerous enough to seperate from society. I believe prisons should be isolated societies where the prisoners are seperated from the mainstream, but not so much so that they forget how to live.
With this work being a choice for the prisoner, it is not forced labor. Giving the prisoner choices makes certain they keep the sense of freedom and how to use it. It is not a blank check of freedom, because they are still being punished, but it makes sure they keep control over enough freedom to know how to survive when they finish their sentence. It would also give them a career opening into electricity when they leave because they (using their credits and passing a test) could even earn promotions to operate other aspects of the power plant then just moving the turbine to make it work.
If anyone disagrees with my plan let me know.