/ 17 August 2004

Arnie may let inmates lift weights again

California's bodybuilder-turned-governor is considering giving weightlifting equipment back to prisoners, who have been barred from using weights since 1997. ''We talked about that several times,'' Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Monday after touring his first prison since becoming governor last autumn.

California’s bodybuilder-turned-governor is considering giving weightlifting equipment back to prisoners, who have been barred from using weights since 1997.

”We talked about that several times,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Monday after touring his first prison since becoming governor last autumn. ”As you know, in the ’70s I used to go around and visit almost all the prisons in California, and youth facilities, to promote weight training for inmates.”

Access to weights was made a privilege for well-behaving prisoners in 1995, when the state cut out what some viewed as perks, and weights were removed in 1997.

One argument was bulked-up prisoners posed too great a danger to guards or citizens if they escaped or were released from prison, Schwarzenegger said.

But he said his administration is re-evaluating that decision.

”I don’t want to put weight training in here if that’s not really what everyone wants and if they think it’s counterproductive, only because I believe in weight training,” Schwarzenegger said.

”I have to have an open mind about all those things. There’s a lot of things that I believed [as a citizen], but now I’m working with the professionals.” ‒ Sapa-AP