Exercise Bikes in the Jail?
By Sharalee Burr
Sr. Paralegal
The Gasper Law Group
If you were to walk into a jail ward today, you would not only hear, but see a number of televisions mounted to the walls of the ward, giving the inmates a bit of entertainment and something to do during those long days of incarceration. Whether or not entertainment should be provided in jail wards is up for grabs, but since televisions are allowed, maybe they could be used for a better cause, say for exercise, not just for entertainment.
We all know the importance and benefits of daily exercise, especially during stressful situations. The jail setting can be very stressful and exercise can provide an effective means of dealing with inmate stress and avoiding increased inmate unrest. How does the television fit into the daily exercise of an inmate you ask?
Recently The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers in Denmark became the world’s first hotel allowing guests to power the building via exercise bikes wired to the grid. For every 10 watt hours or more of electricity produced, guests would receive a complimentary meal. The hotel’s general manager, Allan Agerholm, said, “The electric bikes offer our guests the chance to get fit and help power the hotel at the same time.” The same concept could be used in the jail system. Providing electric bikes for jail wards would not only provide a means of exercise needed by inmates but it could also provide, with the right equipment setup and grid, the power needed to run the televisions. The inmates get the exercise they need and the cost of electricity needed to run the televisions 9 – 12 hours a day decreases.
