What Do You Assume to Be True About ___________?

So I have been trying to figure out what I assume to be true about a particular population. This hasn't been easy as I'm sure it hasn't been for most. But I have to say, I try not to assume too much about people.

I do, however, assume that prisoners are all getting a free ride while in jail/prison. They may be "paying the time", but who really is paying for things (ie: food, medical bills, clothing, a roof over their heads, etc).  There are so many people in prison and I want to know how everything is being paid for. If these people have committed crimes, why should we have to pay for their nourishment and safe keeping?!

Of course prisoners need to be held in a secure manor but I feel like some conditions are pretty good when compared to what a homeless person may have. A bed, blanket and warm food sounds much more pleasant than a cardboard box on the street corner.

I have seen each of these populations (prisoners and homeless) on t.v. and it always seems that the prisoners get warm food, a roof over their heads and a place to lay their head at night. Just doesn't seem to make sense to me, homeless suffer while prisoners relax.

I'm assuming that there will be quite a bit of information for me to research since prisons have been around for a very long time. But, I am thinking that the hardest part may be finding specific information on how things are actually paid. I feel like there may be guarded information about the prison systems. Anything that has to do with "the law" seems to have a sense of corruption, in my mind.