Prisons

Burncycle

What do you think folks?

Are prisons re-education centers, places you're sent for punishment, or simply places to hold those who are unsafe for society?

In my opinion, regardless of how prisons are viewed, we ought to pick one and stick with it.

Cable, and free education or 3 squares a day and a cot?

If it's seen as a punishment, or a holding area for those unsafe for society, 3 squares a day and a cot should be all you get IMO. I would think the daily anal violating is punishment enough <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->

If it's seen as a re-education center, we don't seem to have much success re-educating people.

In addition, what should be done about the massive overcrowding? Massive centralized prison complexes?

Stakhanov

Prisons ought to be open enough , or provide some kind of distraction/entertainment for the prisonners , else they will grow insane very fast. Let's say it's an indirect lethal torture punishment , rendering you mad to the point of committing suicide.

Prisons dramatically alters the personality after a few months. One thing is certain , it doesn't make criminals any better - it's not like they've "learnt the lesson" , their only goal after being freed is to not get caught , by any means necessary , including murder. Captivity is less damaging when the prisonner actually has something worthwhile to do - studying for possible grades or learning a new job. This can be done in the small space of a prison , provide it has the required infrastructure. Having your future stolen is something dreadful , limited incarceration are meant to give criminals a second chance. (off topic - I hardly understand how some zealous christians can forget their teachings about mercy and forgiveness when it comes to criminals , and think giving them a chance of redeeming themselves is useless)

Prisons should be unnecessary. It is foolish to build more of them , jailing an even larger chunk of the population is not going to make this society safer , in fact , there is no reason to jail most of it in the first place : some of the younger robbers/dealers ect. haven't any better option to survive in their district , which are neglected by the State ; they may not have a coherent family or even go to school. Repression is the most obvious and irresponsible solution to crime , strengthening the climate of violence , while prevention shows results over time so it doesn't help winning the next elections.

Nurot

Prisons are places we just stick those we don't want to deal with. We don't teach them anything and although it is punishment it isn't meant to be that way. We stick them there in vegeance and try to get them the maximum sentence and then assume everything is all right. Like it is said above most come out of prison bitter and worse off than before. As for what to do with over-crowding only people with major offenses should be sent to jail. Jail is used for any little thing now, dont pay your bills, or scandals. Corporate fradulance should not be punished with jail. We could find alternative punishments for many of these smaller crimes like garnishing wages until the damage is paid in full and in the example of corporate fraud that plus never being able to work in an upper management position again for so many years.

RyoOhki

Well I think that prison, much like the death penalty, is ment firstly as a deterrant. For me, it works, because being trapped in a cage with virtually zero privacy and daily anal violations is my own defenition of hell and I'd probably kill myself before spending even one night there. But obviously the threat of prison doesn't deter many criminals, as evident by the huge numbers of people in prison across the world. As such then whilst the original purpose may have been deterrance, it pretty much doesn't work these days, or at least not at the level that is hoped.

Thus people are going to end up in prison, and once you've got a person in there, it does make sense to try and re-educate them to be productive members of society as opposed to criminals. That way the state gets something out of it, an investment if you will. If you just keep a person in prison, it costs the state money, and if you're going to put money into something, you might as well try to get something back.

Whether or not prisons can actually work as re-education centres is another story; however I believe that it should probably be the main goal.

Marine0I

<!--QuoteBegin--Stakhanov+Dec 16 2003, 09:52 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Stakhanov @ Dec 16 2003, 09:52 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> (off topic - I hardly understand how some zealous christians can forget their teachings about mercy and forgiveness when it comes to criminals , and think giving them a chance of redeeming themselves is useless) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Which explains why Christians are constantly visiting those in jail - to laugh at them, tell them they are worthless, and that they're going to hell while we are going to heaven....?

Stakhanov

<!--QuoteBegin--Marine01+Dec 16 2003, 01:28 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Marine01 @ Dec 16 2003, 01:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Which explains why Christians are constantly visiting those in jail - to laugh at them, tell them they are worthless, and that they're going to hell while we are going to heaven....? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hey , I wasn't generalizing. I said part of the overzealous ones... and this doesn't occult the mercy and generosity of thoses who do care.

Besides , Christians aren't necessarily the most mercyful - Muslims and other religious people have the same kind of motive when visiting prisonners to enlighten , but there are other ways of helping them , helping them on their studies for exemple. And education is the most effective way to prevent crimes of any kind.

... seems we went pretty off topic now , though.