How would you punish criminals in the UK?

Question

For example, murder, rape, GBH, theft, robbery, vandelism and even down to the smallest crimes and offences? What would be your perception/opinions of what would be suitable in these circumstances? Thankyou very much! EC XX

Answer 1

The suggestion has been going around that you should pluck out their eyes instead of hanging them.

This was a French suggestion of the 19th century, never implemented. But it's had a receptive hearing on Y! Answers.

Answer 2

It shouldn’t be about punishment, it should be about rehabilitation. What if a study was done to find the perfect answer to your question? Great, we’d then now exactly how people should be punished. And what? What does that achieve?

An appropriate deterrent? Hardly. I doubt many people go around thinking ‘Well, I’m gonna kill you cause I’ll only get twenty years in jail and that’ll be a laugh. If it was twenty five mind you…”. A minimum of criminals way up the possible punishment before they commit a crime, judging whether the sentence is worth the risk.

It should be about rehabilitation. A prison sentence is already a punishment, depriving the criminal of their freedom. Inside, the jail should be designed to make the criminal a better person, i.e. a comfortable environment in which the person can reflect, expand and develop. Go ahead, call me a fuzzy liberal, but even ignoring the benefits for the criminal, this is a better solution for society surely.

If you get an offender, work him hard, humiliate him, subject him to punishing conditions what are the results? An embittered felon ready to re-offend.

Or, get an offender and remember that there are many social factors involved in crime other than lack of a fear of punishment. Teach him skills, give him counselling (there is very little of this at the moment), give him an appropriate diet like evidence shows improves behaviour (http://calorielab.com/news/2005/09/09/the-diet-behavior-connection/ or http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1106434) and what do you get? A real person, most likely rehabilitated.

A punishment driven justice system only panders to our blame culture and tabloid hate campaigns.

If people think I’m a soft liberal who needs a reality check I would love to continue to debate this one via email. Who knows? You might be able to persuade me I’m wrong. But come armed with facts.

Answer 3

Build more prisons - get the prisoners to build them too.
Make prisoners serve full time - with added time on for bad behaviour.
The biggest lesson our society needs to learn is that actions have consequences. The government cannot be expected to make up for the inadequate parenting/ drugs/ etc etc. If the society won't willingly change, then they must be locked away so that they aren't allowed to cause more crime.
As for vandalism, etc well, public humiliation is the answer. Bring back the stocks!
We're overwhelmed by crime at the moment and we can't deal with it. There are those that say that prison doesn't work - but what is the answer? Who commits the most crime? Do more criminals come from council estates than from middle class areas?
It's been shown that the tougher you are on crime, the less crime there is.
Prison doesn't work - it contains the criminals. But until we figure out how to brainwash them into civilised behaviour, containment is the only answer.

Answer 4

Murder/Manslaughter = death by leathal injection - bye bye...
Rape = Castration & 5 years hard labour imprisonment
GBH = 10 years hard labour imprisonment
Theft/Robbery = 10 years hard labour imprisonment
Vandelism = 5 year hard labour imprisonment

All would be barcoded and chipped (like dogs) and passports confiscated thereafter. All foreign born criminals would do their term and on release deported back to their natural country irrespective of political status & family (the family - they can follow if they so wish at their expense). All persons responsible who claim any benefit (& their family) will have it revoked. Ideally the Isle of Wight would be ideal as a prison - like Alcatraz or some pony little Isle in Scotland. How does that sound?

Answer 5

Well i would for a start, start giving rapist and pervets more than robbers and burgalers. Can you beleive the state of the justice systeam!! What a fu!kin joke. My brother got more than a known convicted rapist would get for abh on a copper. its all a fat joke. my blood is boiling now thinking about it. How dare they reduce the sentance for rapists, give them tv 24 hours a day and magazines and social classes. Rapist, child molesteras and pervets should be locked away forever, they are not born evil, but the world makes them evil and they can NEVER be turned back. Society is better off without them, but yet, some sick twisted judges think its ok for them to be out in a matter of 3/4 years some in a matter of months, they MUST (THE JUDGES THAT IS) BE SICK IN THE HEAD TOO if they simpathise with them and give them pathetic sentanaces. I hate the justice systeam, they dont know the meaning of the word.

They will only know how it feels like it if was to happen to someone in their family, until then these judges are going to continue handing out sentances that a baby could do standing on its head.

robbers and burgalers should be punished in a different way, and abh, they should be punished by doing things for the community and attending counseling and they should be made (the robbers and burgalers) to get full-time jobs so they dont feel the need to do these things for money,a nd if they have drug problem,, the government should do all they can to help them to rehabilitate them in a drug rehab.

as for vandalisim, well this is kids stuff, i reckon parents should be named and shamed, that way kids would stop doing such things.

(sorry for spelling errors)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

being an ex offender my self i beleive3 that the worst crimes eg rape murder and child abuse should only be a death sentence !!!

the rest prison sentences but with hard work!!!

i went in prison because of solicitors as was demo against them putting children at risk ,

and except my 18 month sentence were i had a better life in side which was like a paqrty all the time(i think that you should have nothing eg tv pool tables gym but to be made to work 16 hours a day as 8 hours in most people a sleep makes for better work

Answer 7

For Paedophiles, Rapist, murder,I would send them to Saudi Arabia,GBH 5years,theft,robbery hand cut off,vandalism the cat of 9 tails,smallest crimes and offences 2years in the army

Answer 8

I think letting them get away with crucifiction should be ok, for theft/burglary. Add a bit of torture in for rapists and murderers.

I find it odd how people rank murder as one of the worst crimes. Most murderers are spur of the moment due to a history of abuse. These people would never recommit, and would still be fine in society (unless abused again). This is physical abuse (like a husband punching a wife in the face repeatedly to show who's boss, then the women stabbing the husband out of fear of being beaten up again). Their are very few cases where the murderers murdered for gain, revenge, thrill etc.

Answer 9

a murderer never killed another person who matters, whilst locked up. Likewise a rapist cant rape anyone else whilst in prison , there should be no early release for anyone.Prison should cost about £4.20 per prisoner per week and thats generous !.I read somewhere this week that muggers and shoplifters should be hit with an on the spot £80 fine.Bloody wonderfull !!!. if i missread my speedo and go 4 mph over the limit i will be fined £20 less than a mugger . This country has gone mad.One mugging = one little finger off and see how many more he commits.

Answer 10

I agree with what has been said

Murder (beyond any reasonable doubt) - Death penalty

Rape - Castration

Theft - All the thiefs possessions to be confiscated plus jail sentence

vandelism - the same amount of vandelism done to their property and jail sentence

Small offences - stocks

Jails to be like jail - no privileges...bread and water

If they cant do the time - dont do the crime

Answer 11

In my view,our system needs a radical change before this country gets totaly out of control.For the most serious of crimes the government should reintroduce capital punishment!We are too lenient on vandalism,that ought to be a stiffer penalty.There is no excuse for rape.All crimes against children should be punished by hanging.The sooner we reintroduce the death penalty the better.