So, you need a unique environment to use as a penal colony/prison for your story?

Well, asteroid mines are presumably dangerous places. So maybe you want a place that has inherent danger?

Prison/hard labour/danger?  interesting indeed.

What about the benefit to the local economy?

Chain gangs build roads, break rocks, pick up litter from motorways/freeways on Earth.

Out in space? Asteroids contain minerals that can be sold - been there, done that as you said.

Perhaps a penal colony that collects ice from the rings of a nearby planet that are sent to another planet that has little water?

Stargate:Universe - the TV series - featured a space ship that collected something by diving close to a star/sun to fill its fuel tanks.

Perhaps a penal colony that earns its keep by piloting containers to the local star to collect energy/something that can be used by the local inhabited world?

If a group of prisoners escape using the 'mining' ships/tankers then a bounty hunter is employed to catch them?

Just my way of processing ideas........I hope this helps.

 

 

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All the Woes of a World by Jonathan Icknield aka The Bryster

And in my final hours - I would cling rather to the tattooed hand of kindness - than the unblemished hand of hate...