How would you like to be in the middle of an ambush if half of your squad was only there because it was better than prison? How would you like to know that the guy sharing a foxhole with you was a convicted murderer, or drug pusher who had no integrity or honor? How many of them would end up walking off the first chance they got, selling thier rifle on the balck market and just going home?

I sure as hell wouldn't want a bunch of liars and thieves who are not politicians having anything to do with the supply lines back home. I can see it now, the truck unloads the ammo crates and they are filled with sand, because some felon who got out of jail sold all of the bullets to the local surplus store.

Most prisoners are stupid, undisciplined and lazy. There are some boot camp type programs within some prison systems, but they wouldn't be worth the trouble. Too much time and money is spent on training and equipping soldiers these days to waste time with making our own equivalent of the the German Ost troops or the Soviet conscript dregs. They wouldn't be good for much but maybe defending fixed positions with officers standing behind them with guns at their backs, and we don't really get into those kinds of battles any more anyway.

Quoted: How many of them are dumb asses that are in the wrong place at the wrong time ? How many of them didn't check ID and believed her when she said she was 18?How many of them had the audacity to speak out about a dirty cop or political figure and suddenly had a bunch of blow in their ashtray ? How many of them had a non drinking accident and some one died?

It doesn't matter, what makes the modern military what it is, is the dedication and proffesionalism of the current soldiers, they have a motivation level that is key to thier efficeincy. If you add outside elements that do not share the same reasons for being there, the dynamic of the infected units will change, you will have people who not only aren't with the program, but never had any intention to get with the program. My father worked as a CO in a prison after he retired from the Army, he would be the first to tell you that every single murderer and rapist in thier is thier because they got a bad rap, and the cops didn't like them, or the judge was an ass, none of them are guilty. There may be some young people in prison today who would thrive in the military and be a attribute to thier branch and country, but the vast majority of them are shit bags who do not deserve the honor of wearing the uniform of todays Military members. There is a reason that the military will not let Felons and habitual offenders join, forcing them to take them would do far more harm to the war effort than good.

Edited to add: My father who has worked in prisoners has told me about the literacy rates in prisons, you have to be able to read where it says "this side towards enemy", a large number of convicts could not do that, do you really want to be in the area where they have been setting claymores?