wilkes

Punishment , swift, harsh, consistent. fair. Key being swift. Lifting weights and laying on bunks breeds trouble.

Its to bad the sheriff just cant tell people to get out of town like in the bad old days, I can make a list of 50 people who if they were gone that would drop the crime rate in half

I can see probation for youthful offenders and first timers, But you can see in the JP after every term of superior court career criminals and thieves being put on probation, The only way they can pay the probation fees and court cost is for them to sling more pills or break in more houses. Some one mentioned warehousing criminals well it is not such a bad idea at least they are not preying on society, We support 90 percent of them and their famileys through social programs even when they are not in jail,

without reading the entire post and responses, i'm going with punishment. why would people who break the law expect anything else? or deserve anything else?don't break the law and you don't have to worry about prison.

First of all prison is not about punishment. It is about custody care and control of a sentenced individual.
Secondly recidivism is highest among young offenders >27 years old . The why is simple. The offender is less likely to have served any real time for the crimes committed.

The problem is probation. First time offenders ( they are not first time offenders;rather this is the first time they have been caught ) 90% of the time are diverted to disciplinary program ie Probation.

Probation is profitable for the government and detrimental for the public .

When prisons became "for profit" it stop being about punishing a crime but keeping a criminal.

Those serving life terms should be given the death penalty, so they will stop being a burden on society.

Those serving less than life should be subject to 16-hour work days, chain gangs, busting big rocks into little rocks, etc. Prison should never be comfortable, meaning no a/c, no television, no conjugal visits, no gym, etc. As the saying from the TV show Beretta, 'If you can't do the time, don't do the crime."

Why no, OC, I didn't say that at all. I'm talking about punishment in terms of reducing the recidivism rate (and perhaps first-time offenses as well.)

"If the example of a serial rapist goes to prison for 10 years, do you think that once he's out he'll be a changed man? What if he's there for 20 years? What if it's only 5? At what point do you think he'll have changed?"

If rehabilitation involves hard labor then I'm all for it. Our interstates sure could use some patching.

Except, then, we would be replacing honest jobs with slave labor. OITNB shows them in a comedic light, but it's really true. This is an interesting list of companies that hire prisoners to do manual labor jobs for anywhere from $0.90 to $4 per day:

http://atlantablackstar.com...l-complex/

So are you saying if we slap the hand of a serial rapist as soon as he;s caught he can be released? I'm trying to understand your logic.

Statistically, a longer stay in prison doesn't improve their chances of recidivism. And with 76% of criminals going back to prison within 5 years, it's safe to say that no length of punishment is going to rehabilitate them.

If the example of a serial rapist goes to prison for 10 years, do you think that once he's out he'll be a changed man? What if he's there for 20 years? What if it's only 5? At what point do you think he'll have changed?

If he will never reach the point where he can be trusted in society, then why let him out at all?

I think we're talking about adults, not preschoolers.

In order to be effective, punishment needs to be quick (closely following the offense) and sure (consistent; happens every time.)

I'm with OC. If prison was so harsh maybe they'd not want to go back.

If rehabilitation involves hard labor then I'm all for it. Our interstates sure could use some patching.

Our current system warehouses criminals in a setting where they hone their criminality.

There is little justice and less restoration.

I think the US should okay the death penalty for a misdemeanor nation wide.

Best statement I've ever read about the law said "Laws are not made just so people can be punished, but that justice is served"..Maybe jurist ought to be able to decide more than just innocence or guilt depending on the particular circumstances people are in court for ? (jmo)

I'm about to rehabilitate goddess with hugs.