We can all agree murderes and rapists deserve to be in jail a long time, sometimes forever. The point is most people there are in for a crime that wasn't violent. Those people need to be able to work and function in society after their release. Even most murdurers and rapists will walk amongst us again. It doesn't serve society to release them with nothing to lose or without a method to occupy their time in a beneficial way. US prisons are quite literally creating more criminals.