It's a pity that most criminal justice systems work on the idea of penal/punishment/payback instead of rehabilate even though many claim that that is their purpose. The rate of return is serverly high & it's the public & the victims that pays dearly for those costly & gross misconceptions of how we all treat convicts.

Incendently, Leadbelly served time in a system that was only one step removed from the prior slave/plantation system that profited from the labor combination of mule & man. That system, at least afforded convicts, if they survived, more diginity during those "Red Hefer" days than the supposedly more human systems of today.

Give a con a CD & he'll probably cut someone's throat, give him a guitar & his cell mate will probably commit suicide if the guy never gets beyond beginner.

Wait that wasn't right. Give a con a guitar & he'll eat for the day, teach him how to fish & he'll become game warden.

No, that wasn't quite right either

Give him an instrument & he'll learn to sing the blues.

Oh the hell with it, giving anyone an instrument can't be a bad thing, no matter what the situation.

You go Billy boy

Barry