Prison and sentencing that works

[Eric Arthur]

Not before time there seems to be some effort being put into making prisons into places for reform rather than punishment.

 

Except where somebody is an immediate danger to others, prisons don't work. Something needs to be sorted out with sentencing too so that offenders don't get taken out of society to fall even further through the cracks in prison.

[tzijlstra]

Having worked closely with a prison (visiting every two weeks to collect and deliver books mended by prisoners) in the Netherlands, I feel that putting prisoners in community more is a good idea. Not all categories of prisoners obviously, but one thing I really want to see is that prisoners can carry on in their job whilst incarcerated. This could be managed with tags etc. and of course only if the employer agrees, but taking people out of their employment is a bad idea, it immediately dumps them down the social economical ladder.

 

If they are unemployed when heading for prison they should be put on a program of training/work placement to give them perspective post-incarceration.

[Janet Olsen]

So are you suggesting then that people who have raped & murdered children, beaten their children & tortured them sometimes to death should be allowed to be living in the community & continue in their jobs??? I have worked in prisons for many years & am all for humane treatment of prisoners but not having those people left in our community to inflict further pain & death on people. I also think if someone who murders & rapes or even harms a child should NEVER be given the chance to do it again.

[alchresearch]

So are you suggesting then that people who have raped & murdered children, beaten their children & tortured them sometimes to death should be allowed to be living in the community & continue in their jobs???

 

Nobody has suggested that and I don't suppose anyone will. Calm down a little.

[sgtkate]

Nobody has suggested that and I don't suppose anyone will. Calm down a little.

 

Always one isn't there?

[999tigger]

So are you suggesting then that people who have raped & murdered children, beaten their children & tortured them sometimes to death should be allowed to be living in the community & continue in their jobs??? I have worked in prisons for many years & am all for humane treatment of prisoners but not having those people left in our community to inflict further pain & death on people. I also think if someone who murders & rapes or even harms a child should NEVER be given the chance to do it again.

 

Nobody suggested that at all. Prison and sentencing need to be the correct balance of rehabillitation and punishment. If its not working and people simply re-offend then its worth looking at to see whether there are more effective ways to deal with people. There will always be those who pose an extreme risk who are unlikely to be rehabillitated enough to be safely released.

 

How come you say more people should go to prison, but you also say more people should be in the community?

Edited February 10, 2016 by 999tigger

[Eric Arthur]

So are you suggesting then that people who have raped & murdered children, beaten their children & tortured them sometimes to death should be allowed to be living in the community & continue in their jobs??? I have worked in prisons for many years & am all for humane treatment of prisoners but not having those people left in our community to inflict further pain & death on people. I also think if someone who murders & rapes or even harms a child should NEVER be given the chance to do it again.

 

Good question. The point of the OP is that prisons aren't working and that they need to become places where rehabilitation is the priority and sentencing to prison should be something that is done because rehabilitation is needed, not just for society's revenge.

 

So the answer to your question is, sometimes maybe, but eventually always, except in very extreme circumstances.

[sgtkate]

The problems come with identifying who genuinely wants rehabilitation and those who are just playing the game.

 

With rare exceptions, I'd say everyone deserves a second chance almost regardless of what they've done. Even child rapists, although typing that makes me cringe, but many do want to reform and should be helped. Doesn't mean they shouldn't go to prison to get that help though as clearly without it they are likely to be a danger to other people.

 

However, we cannot endless give chances, so perhaps an almost 2-tier prison system based partially on severity of crime and also on rehabilitation potential. First crime, even if it's murder should have a prison with education, decent standard of accommodation, work opportunities and so on. However, if you reoffend or show no rehabilitation potential then it's off to the absolute bare bones prison where we meet our human rights requirements and nothing more.

[Eric Arthur]

The problems come with identifying who genuinely wants rehabilitation and those who are just playing the game.

 

With rare exceptions, I'd say everyone deserves a second chance almost regardless of what they've done. Even child rapists, although typing that makes me cringe, but many do want to reform and should be helped. Doesn't mean they shouldn't go to prison to get that help though as clearly without it they are likely to be a danger to other people.

 

However, we cannot endless give chances, so perhaps an almost 2-tier prison system based partially on severity of crime and also on rehabilitation potential. First crime, even if it's murder should have a prison with education, decent standard of accommodation, work opportunities and so on. However, if you reoffend or show no rehabilitation potential then it's off to the absolute bare bones prison where we meet our human rights requirements and nothing more.

 

I agree with every single word except the final bare bones prison idea, but in principle, persistent re offenders lose freedom privs and end up in what looks like a prison.

 

That said, most future prisons might look very different to rehabilitation centres. More like actual hotels in fact which would irritate a lot of the Blood n Guts (So Long It's Somebody Else's) Brigade, but that's what rehab centres are and it's why they work. People who are treated like animals return the favour, so we need a better way of treating people, in both senses of the word.

 

Criminal rehab centres should be in every community, allowing offenders to retain as much of a normal life as possible for their benefit and that of the people around them.

[Chelle-82]

The problems come with identifying who genuinely wants rehabilitation and those who are just playing the game.

 

With rare exceptions, I'd say everyone deserves a second chance almost regardless of what they've done. Even child rapists, although typing that makes me cringe, but many do want to reform and should be helped. Doesn't mean they shouldn't go to prison to get that help though as clearly without it they are likely to be a danger to other people.

 

However, we cannot endless give chances, so perhaps an almost 2-tier prison system based partially on severity of crime and also on rehabilitation potential. First crime, even if it's murder should have a prison with education, decent standard of accommodation, work opportunities and so on. However, if you reoffend or show no rehabilitation potential then it's off to the absolute bare bones prison where we meet our human rights requirements and nothing more.

 

I can't believe you've put that..

 

Do you have children sgtkate? That made me cringe reading it.

 

The death penalty should be re-introduced for child rapists... not rehabilitation centres.