Is the fact that prisons exist an indictment on the failure of our society?
489349
I agree wholeheartedly, and think it is a shame.\n\nTo make matters worse, prisoners come out worse than they went in--due to being labeled--and due to being made to live among worse criminals.
35241
No. The typical Federal prison doesn't have any more "perks" than a state prison.  The only differance between the two is the crime that was commited.
873963
Lifetime imprisonment and hard labour.
202131
yes, we do. It is pretty sad when someone has been convicted of a crime, goes to prison, has a tv in every cell, can have a friend bring them a vcr, and food, when they visit. I'm sure not all do this, but there are a lot that do. I know, because I have a friend in prison right now. Going to prison is supposed to be a punishment, not a vacation.
20829
The Prison system shifted from being for reform to being punitive long ago, thus there has been a decrease in programs (vocation, education) in many prison systems.  \n\nPersonally, I think they should have more programs available.  Especially for non-violent drug/property crimes.
349684
They don't.  In fact and this is very sad, we keep more of our people in prison than any other country in the world, and we call ourselves a world leader.\n\nSad, very sad.
938635
The solution is complex but yes we need to give prisoners a basic education or better if they want, more job training, drug resistance education, mental health solutions and help with dealing with people in general once out. Prison is not soft and I dont know where anyone got that idea. People end up back in prison for the same reasons they got there in the first place; no job, no education, no hope.Our jails are not rehabilitation centers and no rehab is done there so of course they come out just as bad as when they went in.
197879
Of course. Our penal system is absurd.
1127863
Albeit there seems to be some issues with the correctional system, I've worked there and haven't found a better way of things. Not all inmates are monsters. Yes, they did wrong in someway, but can you honestly look someone in the eye and say that a seventy-two year old woman who is in for bad checks needs to be locked up and have the key thrown away? People like that are in there. Or the guy in there with an IQ of 50 who got a hold of a gun and was waving it around? He needs a hospital not a prison, but they put him in with regular population. \nDo you think it is right for the man to miss his daughter's funeral, just because he's locked up? \nOn another note. I know they have a lot of 'privileges' and rights. But seeing how, I've worked in a prison, things like weights, basketball, musical instruments keep them entertained and from making their own entertainment. When they are left to find ways to entertain themselves it comes in forms that are undesirable like fights. \nThe appeal system for death row inmates is designed to weed out those wrongfully accused and incarcerated. Our justice system is an adversary system like that and thank heavens for it. Unfortunately a few who are guilty escape justice they deserved. But until we find a way that is better we have to do with what we have.
518414
I think it depends on the person really. Some learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of others and can be released and will never commit a serious crime again. Others, however, wont and always will. I heard a story about a president or leader or dictator or something high in south america that had a prison built for 15000 prisoners. When it was done, he moved in the 15,00 prisoners, left them in there for 2 days as if everything was normal, then on the third day, he burnt the prison down with the prisoners still inside. His reason for doing so was to send a message to anyone else that was thinking of commiting a crime in the future.
663775
NO, it's 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. EDIT: Now that I read some of the responses that makes what I said before even true, 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.
445562
Ive done a few research papers on this subject. It would clear out a lot of prison cells yes. Also, it would reduce some crime, regulate it making it safer. You could also tax it and make profits off of it that way. Just for short.
620757
The tug and pull can be summed up as the theoretical and the reality.  For the first, I would want us to rehabilitate people, make them into productive members of society - that maximizes social good.  Reality is, that aint gonna happen for some people, and many come out worse than they went in.  Theoretically, putting someone in prison for life is more expensive.  Reality, a death row appeal ends up costing more dollars b/c of the expense to the taxpayer on the legal system.  Theoretically, we should tell people that killing is wrong, and teaching that lesson by doing the same.  Reality is, people commit crimes not with fear of the level of punishment, but by balancing the likelihood of getting caught.\nReality - society doesn't care, and most people dont care what ridiculously high percentage of people get railroaded by the justice system.\nBut I will say this from my personal opinion, I am tired of caring for people that want to whine about how their punishment isnt fair.  People make choices, and if you step outside the bounds society lays out, they shouldn't be surprrised that they don't like how society reacts.
533160
no...sometimes the newspapers will report crime waves and such just to freak out the public so we THINK we need to build more jails and vote to keep $ flowing to the dept of justice/corrections, etc.  however, the govt agencies should have enuf $ to adequately staff jails and properly keep crime to a decent level.  it's just that govt is filled with waste, corruption, etc.
797245
I just attended a lecture yesterday that talked about these very statistics.  Our crime rate is actually going down, but our rate of incarceration is going up.  This reflects the US' "war on crime" and "war on drugs" started in the late 70s, early 80s (Reagan, mostly).  It's because we are taking action and using incarceration as the solution.  To really properly analize these numbers, you also have to look at the crime rates of all these nations (we also score very poorly, there, so you still have a point).  The statistics for african-americans is even worse - something like 6000+ african-american inmates per 100,000.
1003871
No, just look at us here in America.  Though suffering a decode of defeats the Democratic party still have a huge number of followers, all waiting for the chance to vote themselves a welfare check.\n\nLook at the poor souls in New Orleans they sat there waiting for the Government to help them before even considering helping themselves.\n\nIt is a truely pathetic side of the human race, but Socialism in every method it has ever been tried has failed, because it rewards laziness and punishes success.  Relying on the government is a one way ticket to despair.
661030
I have a very strong viewpoint on what prisonsers should and should not have available to them.  I my opinion, prisoners should have NOTHING other than the bare necessities.  They are in prison for a reason - they broke laws.  Why should they be given opportunities that the rest of us have to work hard to get?  They are not paying mortgages or rent, food or utility bills, and do not have to worry about commuting to work every day and paying the extrordinary amount we all have to pay for gas these days. Yet they are fed 3 meals a day, have television and a library, are allowed to work out, study and get college degrees and not pay a cent for any of it, except their freedom !!!  \n\nI worked in criminal court for over 15 years and many times when a defendant was sentenced to the mid-term sentence, they requested longer and stated that it is easier for them in prison than in the real world where they can't find jobs, don't have enough money to live, and have other stresses.\n\nI think that prisons should be a punishment, not a reward!