We seem to have packed prisons now, why can't we bring back MEDIEVAL justice and punishment!?

Question

It costs £20,000 per prisoner per year, which we the taxpayer pay.
Now for 'minor offences' like theft, or bullying (ABH, GBH), anti-social behaviour and the like why not try other methods.
Possible answers- the stocks in the town square ( a humiliating act in which the offender lies exposed to the wrath of the public in the confines of wooden lock over the head and the hands)
Branding with a hot iron, etc

Showing the power of mass contempt for their breaches of social law, the offenders would realise this powerful deterrent instead of a soft society which can be manipulated according to their childish instincts.
..Maybe not so much 'ducking' and hanging!

Community service is a let off and a joke.
Let's "Get Medieval".

Answer 1

Yes I think something like stocks (properly managed and monitored by authorities) is a better punishment for youths than asbo's. Stocks really would teach offenders a lesson and work as a detterent. Like u say it really does something to humiliate them in public and touch them on a 'deeper note' and generally deter youths from petty crime into being more in control and better citizens.

(i also think public hangings of people like fred west and harold shipman would be a good idea as well, people like this should cost the tax payer nothing!)

People say that doing things like this isn't very advanced, but i bet you'll find that medievel society was a lot more functional and cohesive and i'd wager that people (aside from hunger and poverty) were happier to. We ignore and abandon the past at our peril don't you think?

Answer 2

I think when you say this you are forgetting that crimes are committed for a reason. For example a woman may kill her husband because of domestic violence, rather than any self-motivated reason such as insurance money. Such situations are wildly different to the murder for money and so it would be wrong to then group them all in one group.
Also, the punishments suggested are unlikely to work. A murderer may see the gallows as the easy way out and so become a martyr to other criminals. There is also a fine line to be drawn between torture and punishment- there is a risk we would end up like them,brutal and sadistic. Capital punishment ruins the lives of more than the criminal, but also their family and friends, and we also ensure that we lose the knowledge they hold- several cases have seen criminals on Death Row go to their execution, withholding what they know to give themselves a psychological advantage over the police.
However I do agree with the notion of the stocks. This punishment is non-harmful but makes an example of the perpetrator of the crime.
One problem for me is that prisons now have moved from the basics into small palaces where often the prisoner has more comfort and luxury than their defenceless victim. It would be much better for prisons to be stripped back to the basics, with prisoner assets being seized to help pay their keep, no TV or days out, and especially no parole- they must serve their sentence. They must be stripped of all but their most basic rights- why should someone who rejects the responsibilitites of society reap any rewards.
I also personally feel that prisoners should be given more spiritual guidance, such as by being encouraged to explore religious feeling and also being supported. Many prisoners say their reason for their crime is because they had little spiritual or moral support. Bringing back the Bible into people's lives would certainly improve the situation, giving people a moral compass by which to lead their lives. There has been a strong correllation between secularism and crime.

Answer 3

Maybe if you weren't such a douche-bag you wouldn't be bullied as much. People aren't born saying "Hey, you know what? I'm going to be a criminal and go to prison." They are driven to crime either by a society that doesn't care about them or because of a mental illness. Do you want to know who the real criminals are? They are the corporations that take advantage of the labor of third world citizens because it increases their profit margin, the ones that would encourage warfare so that they can get exclusive defense contracts, the ones that would sacrifice the environment and tell everyone that it was necessary to ensure a constant supply of oil. Capitalist scumbags are the reason our world is turning into a cesspool, politically and ecologically.

Answer 4

You are brave the PC police will be watching you from now on. I agree with all you have said and let teachers cane kids. When I was at school it was the thought of the cane in front of the school that stopped a lot of problems. We will never get this Labour lot with their human rights agree and I am sorry to say Dave the boy is worse. Deterrent not 4* prison life. I am with you all the way.

Answer 5

Step back in your time machine and go home,your beloved Medieval times.
We want to live in a decent society and that means we constantly try to make things more civilized.It's not perfect but at least we try and don't come with tried and failed methods of the past.That's right your methods were a failure and that is why they got replaced.Torture is also forbidden by international law and the US constitution.
Your graphic remarks suggest that you enjoy thinking of torture.That's not good,talk to a doctor about it.You have a long way to go but help can always be found.Hope you feel better soon.

Answer 6

I agree with you,the USA has some prisons that must be like holiday camps because the % of repeat offenders is outrageous...If they took away tv and computers and limited visitation and mail privilages etc. etc.the prisoners would`nt be so comfortable enough to become institutionalized.The punishment should fit the crime,including corporal punishment.

Answer 7

Good idea. Unfortunately, that won't work. I don't think you live in the United States (just based on the way you spell), but they want to come off like they're fair to everyone, even prisoners. So that won't happen. See, everyone on the outside would always say, "No! That's horrible, absurd! That's cruel, we'd be stooping to their level!" But on the inside, the people who are really good will agree with this type of punishment, because it isn't stooping to their level, it's giving them what they deserve. Society's twisted like that.

Answer 8

Believe it or not alot of people in jail and prison are in there wrongfully. The system, and the judges need to be overhauled. im sure there is a ton of criminals in there.. but would you like your head cuto ff because the judge on your case that day had PMS.. or was in need of psych care and failed to recognize that she needed it.??
I was held in contempt of court by a wacko judge at the DALY CENTER CHICAGO .. Her name is PAMELA HILL-VEAL. She never bothered to even say what upset her.. but three hours in jail i learned that she felt I disrespected her.. There was no discussion and no warning. and she threatened to jail me long term.
I didnt swear or talk over her.. I cant account for her nutcase behavior. if shes too stressed she can take a leave.
How many people are in jail that encountered her in CIVIL COURT?
This is a problem.. so killing people off isnt the answer.
peaches

Answer 9

Yes, we need floggings, torture, mutilations, prisoners living on bread and water, public hangings, the rack, dismemberment, disembowelling, hanging drawing and quartering, hot coals, boiling oil, no social workers, no counselling, no therapy, nothing PC and no human rights. Maybe then our society will return to normal.........

Answer 10

Make the punishment fit the crime, just make sure the person is guilty. Theives, cut their hands off, rapists cut their cocks off etc. but it must be proven with not doubt that they are guilty and are habitual offenders