Jail sentances...why give them then let them out?!?!?

Question

It annoys the hell out of me when people are "let out early for good behaviour".
They do something bad, and deserve to be punished. The punishment is meant to fit the crime, not be affected by how good they are once in jail.
This cannot help anyone see what they will be like when they leave as people's behaviour will be influenced as they want to leave.
If someone has commited a crime, whatever it is, shouldnt they serve the full sentance given to them regardless of good behaviour?
In addition, if people behaved badly in prison then their sentance could be extended which would giv people motive.
Ok it may cost more, but people deserve justice and it might reduce crime rates.
Good behaviour has nothing to do with the crime.
Do you agree or do you think it is a good thing people are let off on good behaviour early?

Instead of using taxes to help fund drug habits and other people on benefits who just cant be bothered, build more jails.
I think people should be reformed, but by serving their proper setence. This would make them realise there are consequences and help them deal with it to be allowed in society again.
Also, I am from the uk and you hear of people being let out 1/2years early then raping/murdering again etc.

Answer 1

Hello Becky, I have to agree with you and I think that a criminal should serve his time. It's like a mother putting a child on a "Time Out" for something he/she did and then letting them go before the time was up. I feel that it encourages a repeat of the crime or worse.


the last study disclosed that it costs the American tax payer $40,000.00 a year to keep a person in prison. I don't know about you but I'd just as soon spend my own 40 grand and let the prisoners go to hell.
There are numerous options to having one pay his debt to society in prison. Living free ($) having color TV, getting a college degree, and getting the very best medical and dental care doesn't seem like punishment to me.
The alternatives are a tent community where prisoners grow there own food, cook their own food, make their own clothes. No TV, no air conditioning, the only education should be to make sure all have a high school education. Prison has to be a place where no one wants to return . It's not supposed to be fun. Make it Hell for the prisoners and it will work better.

Answer 2

You have never been in jail have you. Caged up like an animal even if your crime is petty, I'm not saying murders and rapists should be free, but what I do want to say is that I have been to jail, I committed a crime, and one thing you need to understand is that you are in a sense....wrong, there is an issued sentence( a maximum if you are bad in jail) and there is a minimum sentence with that. I had to go to jail for 2 weeks, for stealing money which I paid back before I went to jail. Now if someone realizes the crime they committed and no one was physically harmed and a lesson is learned than why should I have gotten the maximum of 21 YEARS? wasted all your money, and instead of being rehabilitated I become a hardened criminal because after spending too much time in the jail you may become institutionalized and then what happens?

Answer 3

good time behavior does not apply to all crimes..

those serious crimes and murders and so forth, do not get good time, and are more than often required to complete 80 percent of their sentences before even considedered for good time or parole..

there are over one million people in prison in usa..

it costs about 100 dollars a day to feed, house, water the inmates, security, cameras, maintaince of the prison..

who pays for this?

those people with jobs in society are the ones who are footing the bill..

if u ever wonder why america is in debt, this is one of the reasons..

there are people who are in prison for beating on his wife for 5 years, and there is a convicted drug dealer serving 2 yeears.. the justice system is not fair, nor equal..

a man who murdered man during a bad bar fight serves 14 years in prison..

a man who murders his wife and daughter intentionally serves 20 years..

does this seem right..?

prisons are overcrowded..

they know the diffrence from serious crimes and petty crimes.. 60 percent of people in prison are there on trumpted up charges or whatever.. mostly because of their lack of cooperation with the judical system..

sad news is..

prison is a business.. they know u are coming back.. they get a pat on the back from the goverment for "reforming" you, and get a bonus when u return..

i say, let the judical system do whatever they see fit..

life isnt fair.. just dont get on the wrong side of the stick if you, or a friend or family doesnt get good time, but sure they do deserve it more than all the other criminals.. but so does everyone else!

america isnt free... its binded by nonsense!

Answer 4

when a criminal is let out of jail early - on parole or for good behaviour - they are released 'on licence'.

someone who gets a three-year sentence (say) for burglary, but is then released after fourteen months, can go back into society and if he behave impeccably for the next two years will be considered to have served his sentence.

but if he commits even the most trivial offence (by being drunk and disorderly for example) his licence can be revoked and he can find himself back in jail - to server the full remainder of his sentence.

part of the purpose of a prison sentence is to punish, but part of the function of prison is also to reform. a prisoner who is released on licence needs to behave even better than an ordinary citizen - since even a trivial offence will put him back behind bars.

for most people prison is a terrifying experience. a prisoner out on licence knows how much he doesn't want to go back there. he behaves extra good.

behaving extra good is an essential part of reform (it is habit forming).

the parole system is an essential component of the 'reform' part of a prison sentence.

some people just want revenge. they are prepared to accept higher crime levels as long as they are happy that people are being adequately punished.

other people mainly want fewer crimes. they are prepared to cut a little slack on the punishment issue as long as it stops criminals from re-offending.

Answer 5

Gaols rely on the goodwill of prisoners to function properly, and this is the reason for giving time-off for good behaviour. Without this incentive to behave, gaols would quickly descend into anarchy. The alternative is for taxpayers to shell out much, much more cash to provide prisons that could be effectively managed regardless of the goodwill of the prisoners.

A civilised society cannot let its gaols turn to anarchy, so it's either more cash, or a scheme to incentivise good behaviour.

Answer 6

Well, it depends on the purpose of punishment. There is the sense of punishment like hell. Where you burn for eternity, because you were bad. You don't learn anything, you just suffer. Or, the sense that you learn something from a punishment. Assuming they were well behaved in prison, may suggest, that they learned their lesson, and are able to re-enter society without being a-holes again.

Answer 7

Totally agree with you, the problem is jail is too good for them now, they have TV, visits everything we on the outside have to work hard for. They are not punished enough and jail is not a deterrent for them. I think we should go back to the old ways, i.e slopping out, no privilages etc and then they wouldn't want to do the crimes as they would not want to go back inside.

Answer 8

I agree totally, like how a life sentance is now just 5 years!!! But you see we have no room to keep them all, with all the prisons overflowing and more and more people coming in there just isn't the space.... Bring back the death penalty!

Answer 9

The idea behind the American prison system is reform and release. They don't want to lock up, they want to reform criminals into upstanding citizans which will be productive members of society. This is why there are so many different types and styles of sentacing in the US.

Answer 10

Our jails and prisons are over-populated, that's why. It didn't used to be that you were let out early for essentially, not getting caught doing anything bad while in.

Also, if a crime is committed in jail, they often get more time added on.