Yeah, and it gives movies like “Cape Fear” a degree of plausibility. Also, we should install tattoo parlors.
How about not having any weight plates over 50 pounds? Maybe just have weight plates of 10 pounds and under so that weight lifters aren’t able to get shredded, just able to get moderate muscle growth. Also, encourage yoga and cardio alternatives. I know that any self-respecting con is probably laughing till he cries if he ever read this post, but I think it’s reasonable.
I know that in Michigan, many of what folks here are complaining about are paid for by the Inmate Fund (Inmates personally depositing $$ into that fund from their work pay - typically something like $1 per day by the way- , their accounts where their families have made deposits etc.)
Prisons also have Jaycees here in the state, and do some philanthropic work.
Generally speaking, the amount of time they have for ‘rec’ of any type is seriously limited (in most cases they do work, and/or attend school), and of course, theres’ limits on everything (lights out at certain time etc).
THings like weight lifting facilities do a good job of providing exercise, while minimizing the amount of outside personnel needed to provide it, avoiding things like competitive situations etc. and, are as such, an excellent management tool.
I can see it now… “The new trend for prison facilities is to replace weights with junk food. Prisoners will now get a steady stream of lucky charms and twinkies. The idea of which is to make them as dosile and helpless as cattle.” 
I don’t understand where you’re coming from. I never made any sweeping observations about violent offenders. I just said that, if a person is already prone to hurting people, he’s going to find a way to do it whether or not he was able to jump on the arm curl machine to work on his biceps.
I think the prisoners should be able to work out, as long as they meet all other conditions of their confinement (I like the carrot-and-stick approach).
The guards should have to work out too, though. I used to have to travel to prisons for work, and I would frequently be sitting in the room with a violent felon with biceps as big around as my thighs, watching some corpulent prison guard falling asleep leaning against the doorway, arms folder across his huge beer belly and head resting on his 16 chins. I was generally thinking, “If there were a riot right now, which one of these guys would come out ahead?”
Arnold Schwarzenegger taught bodybuilding to cons and claims that it built character. It takes serious self-discipline to pump iron, day in, day out.