In Texas we use them for farm labor. TDC owns vast farms, and it is one of the few penal systems that actually turns a profit - not every year, but often enough that the taxpayers get to smile about it. There is just something satisfying about driving thru Rosenburg and seeing that dude up on his horse with a rifle, and all those felons planting rice in the mud. While other states talk about prisoners costing 30 grand a bed, ours don't cost us a thing sometime. As a result, we are always looking for more.