We frequently hear that prisons are squeezed for money and that, therefore, we need to release "low level, non-violent" inmates (which, to read defense-oriented websites, is most of them) to rescue the public fisc.

It now comes out that we have been investing quite a bit in prisons  --  or, more directly, in prisoners.

Remember the jobs-producing stimulus money?  Well, the jobs never showed up, but business is brisker than ever at the prison canteen.

Still, not to worry.  As the story shows, even though prisoners have been getting quite a chunk, the bulk of it went to people likely to be less energetic in using it, except, perhaps, to vote in Chicago.