placing criminals in prison benefits everyone?
474772
My opinion is that if people r put in prison, some may just come of with an even worse attitude than they had when they went in. Look at recidivism rates.......
64268
I don't agree with kids being housed in adult prisons; however I am concerned with young violent criminals being housed with kids. If you have a kid which killed for any reason how can you justify putting him in a cell or housing unit with a kid in for tagging. The system has to protect the wrong doers even from themselves.
366030
I think when jail sentences are determined kids are considered. If having a woman in for a long time is going to leave a child homeless, and the woman is not violent and not a danger to the child then society might be better off with a more lenient probation than crowding both the jail and foster system that are both overburdened.
178714
I believe there should be a factory, manufacturing plant or a field connected to every prison. I think they should get paid minimum wage. (it would be hard to call that "unreasonable punishment since its what lawful people are expected to work for) With every prison sentence against a person place or thing there should be a debt to pay. When the prisoner gets paid he can pay his rent, (water, electric, gas and ground keeping services included) after he has paid his rent his child support will be taken out. After child support he can pay off his debits to the person place or thing he committed the crime against.
863995
The householder is required by law to provide this information.  In theory you could be sent to prison until you do.  However, about 10% of the population don't bother and there's not enough room for all of you.
242414
Everyone plays a role in maintaining law and order. Society, in theory should exist to benefit everyone. If we all do our part to make things a little better than they were before we got here then many will benefit.\n\nFollow the spirit of the law (Not necessarily the letter) and encourage others to do the same for a better society and all will be well.
800485
This is different with different prisoners in different prisons in different states. No easy answers here, but my brother-in-law(a prison guard) used to say the recreation privileges(TV, books, weight lifting) they received was the only way to control and keep guards safer.  He also said there were those who shouldn't have been there although we'd like to believe our justice system is fair. He was especially concerned with the younger prisoners. You might try searching the internet for a local prison and see what information you can find-there's usually lots! \n\nFor instance try "federal prison privilege".
1118824
I think every felony should carry the death penalty...that's a pretty good deterrent, no?
183879
It would help curb *senseless* crime if it were actually used when it should be. What kills me is the "life without parole" sentences - if that prisoner can never be rehabilitated, what use is (s)he?
304215
I haven't checked out the site, because my opinion is firmly developed on this subject.\n\nThose deemed guilty of a crime against society, especially a violent crime, in this day and age, are only punished by lack of freedom.  That is not sufficient penalty, in my opinion.  I believe that convicted criminals should be subject to any and all heavy labor deemed relevant to their 'repayment of society'.  \n\nIf imprisonment is to be a true deterrant to crime, it must be 'beyond horrible'.  That's not to say that we should torture, or abuse criminals, but by golly, developing a farmiliarity to HARD WORK can only help them when they get out of prison.\n\nAnd, as an example, I find it personally objectionable as a taxpayer to be paying for cable t.v. service for inmates.  Or to be providing vegetables and grains for prison consumption.  Veggies and grains should be produced by prisoners in prison farms.  \n\nInmates lifting weights all day, or earning a law degree is simply not O.K., if it's done on the backs of their law abiding fellow citizens.  Just my opinion!
816047
should prisons allow a criminal to earn an education?
615702
NO, it does not. It's absurdly expensive as the sentences are so long. There's barely any rehabilitation going on, and for the most part too many ppl are admitted for very long sentences who have not done serious crimes. Once you go through hell that most jails are you won't come out the same! And usually you won't come out a better person either! On top of that recidivism rates are extremely high when compared to other countries, i.e. in Europe. Some state prisons have recidivism rates as high as 20-30%. So no, too many do not become productive members of society again. I think there's a problem how the system works in itself, it might be successful at punishing, but not rehabilitation, in either case it should focus in prevention, and not be just a reactionary system. Some states, I think Florida and California will be soon among them if not yet, are spending more, or at least the same for education as prison systems. Now, doesn't anyone think there's something wrong with that? Right now US is jailing more than 2 million individuals... That's equivalent to a small country! There's clearly problems with the system, as well as the the way that society sees it and how they regard crime itself. Putting someone in jail as long as possible is not going to change anything! It's what he does in that jail that matters, not how long he stays there. So, if you think it's a good idea to fill the jails up with criminals, - fill them up, then build more max security prisons at 10 grand a cell, and fill those up as well, just don't come to me when it's time to pay taxes. And pray that once those criminals get out they don't come to you for anything, cause they'll be pissed. It's something to think about when you see the next politician boasting how he'll be tough on crime just cause it's an easy way to get votes, and felons can't vote, so he got nothing to loose, it's the society that does.
754786
Well you cannot tar all Western prisons the same as some are hard labour others holiday camps. Most hardened criminals say they learnt the finer points of crime in jail.\nI myself believe it should be a deterent, not run in accordance with some minority group on prisioners rights, but by victims groups.
1096344
NO!!\nAmnesty will only encourage future illegal immigration. THink.. If those people see that we give amnesty to illegals, then they too will think they can come here and get amnesty in the future as well. Your stealing a car example is dead on. Amnesty is no better then releasing all prisoners because they have been in there for a long time.
114016
Criminals have to be in prison to keep them away from the rest of society so they wouldn't hurt us and so they will have an opportunity to reform and change.
887028
Nope your right these folks committed crime and were sentenced to a term in jail. Jail is a place where you have restricted freedom and privileges. The human writes brigade think this is wrong. I think it is character building keep them swilling out there own pig pens this way they may begin to learn the advantages of not living in a prison. From there its not a great leap for them to understand what they did wrong that got them there in the first place. All while they have PlayStation's, television, three square meals, books, education, medical system better than NHS, drugs, you name it they got it where's the deterrent????
138703
I agree with you that there should be more creative forms of punishment.  We mix non-violent and violent prisoners together and we have horrible overcrowding of prisons. However, I was once on a jury during the trial of a man who defrauded dozens of elderly people out of their life savings.  Many lost their homes.  While he didn't physically assault them, his crime against them was extremely harmful and cruel, and we need to protect society against such people.