I often complain about the fact that public schools are basically prisons. Of course superintendent Nathan Bootz does point out that prisoners actually get more than school children:
Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.
This is part of a letter Mr. Bootz sent to the governor of Michigan asking that his school be turned into a prison to get increased funding. It seems though that turning the school into a prison would be an improvement so it is safe to say public schools are worst than prisons.