Do People Die Because We're Too Soft With Our Criminals?

Question

Is deterrent more important than rehabilitation?

Answer 1

some times yes .but i don`t think there is a detterent that works .we are too soft on the ones who have been caught for a serious offence and then let out of prison after a couple of years life should mean life for the worst type of criminals .The trouble is they let this sort of person go free and then send mothers to prison because they can`t make their horrible kids go to school .or waste time and money taking old ladies to court for feeding the birds I might not be all that bright but it seems obvious enough to me which sort of person should be using up prison space so why is it so hard to do something about it

Answer 2

The justice system in the UK has become a joke. It makes it almost worth committing financial crimes. The sentences given out for murder and rape are a joke. Tagging....please, what a waste of time and money.

Take the three guys that were recently extradited to the U.S. for participating in the Enron fraud. They would have more than likely walked away from that totally free had it not been for the U.S. justice system. I know they have not yet been tried but from what I've read it's a done deal. Everyone here was whinging on about what an infringement on our civil rights it was. Nonsense, they did what the British justice system should have done.

What's the point of even having laws if the sentences handed out for breaking them are not a deterrent. Life should mean life, no chance of ever being free again. Plus no cushy privileges.

I guess it would help if the government had not screwed up the entire penal system. There's nowhere to put criminals now.

So after all that I absolutely think peoples lives are wrecked and loved ones die because of our pathetic, cushy justice system.

Deterrent is definitely more important then rehab.

Can you put a price on a life? No.

Take some of the tax extracted from the tax paying public.
Spend the money, build more jails, take dangerous people off the streets for good. We deserve to be, and feel safe.

I would love to know the success rate for rehabilitated offenders.
My guess is that a lot of repeat offenders need to be caught and helped a lot earlier on in their life. Like at school age.

Answer 3

People die from ill-health (be it sudden or gradual).

Are we too soft on our criminals? I'd say no, but we are too soft on our suspects, as we are sentencing people for only a small proportion of crimes even though we often know who did it.

The deterrent part of having a prison sentence is very important.

The only way to prevent crimes from happening is by eliminating the will or the opportunity to do things, which are impossible. But
perhaps some progress could still be made in making fewer people want to steal & be violent.

The only thing we are definitely too soft on is very violent offenders & repeat offenders.

Answer 4

Deterrence is more important than rehabilitation because criminals are menace of the society. People will die because of criminals if they are not afraid of the penalties as provided for the laws.

Answer 5

The "prison as deterrant" arguement relies essentially on Rational Choice Theory: the idea that criminals make a rational, calculated decision as to whether the costs of committing the offence (such as going to prison, separation from family, public reaction, etc) outweigh the benefits of doing so. This presupposes that at the time of the offence the offender is willing and able of thinking ahead to the consequences of their actions.

I would argue that many offenders aren't in a place to make a calm, rational decision taking into account their likely punishment if caught. Research indicates that many people strongly underestimate their likelihood of getting caught in the first place (especially if they have committed similar crimes and not been picked up, which can start to lead to a sense of invulnerability). Then not everyone is aware of the actual penalty for the offence they're about to commit - although I grant you they probably are if it's murder.

Now add in all the other factors which make people commit crimes: inability to control their emotions, especially if coupled with a sense of desparation over their circumstances (whether to do with money, relationships, lack of employment, whatever); substance misuse problems; mental health problems; a lack of an ability to think of alternatives ... all of these are well-documented issues which come up again and again if you look into the causes of offending.

Murder, I would argue, is probably the least likely of all crimes to fit within a rational choice framework. Either:
a) the person didn't mean to commit murder, and it went too far somehow (in which case they didn't make a rational choice);
b) they meant to kill, but only in the heat of the moment, driven by strong emotions, perhaps coupled with drink or drugs (in which case they couldn't make a rational choice);
c) they were suffering from some kind of severe, untreated mental health problem which drove them to kill (in which case they were again unable to think rationally at all);
Or
d) they planned to kill in a cold blooded manner. In which case this person may well have hard-to-treat mental health issues such as an antisocial personality disorder (current language for "psychopathy") in which case they may not operate under general kinds of logic and decision-making at all and will be unlikely to care.

Either way, "life meaning life" would have little impact on many murderers.

Answer 6

Unfortunately I think people do.

I personally think a they are both important but deterrents are lagging behind the progresses of rehab at the moment. Just the thought of the shame and the consequences from my parents was enough to keep me on the straight and narrow.

Answer 7

We are far too soft.

You go to prison as a punishment, because you have done something wrong.

Prisoners seem to have a great life. A roof over their head, three meals a day, sky TV, books, can study and so on.

Then complain about how hard it is. It's meant to be!

The latest I heard was that there was a campaign by prisoners to stop wardens wearing Christmas hats as it made them feel bad that they were missing family and loved ones at Christmas.

So what?! If you have had not mugged that little old lady then maybe you wouldn't have been in prison!

Answer 8

I firmly believe that more people have been murdered than should have been because of our 'soft' approach to criminals. Im not saying that we should bring back the death penalty, but tougher sentances with no parole might have saved a lot of lives. Criminals know how to play the system and get out early on parole and some of them do go on to commit further crimes.

Answer 9

yes people die as were are certainly too soft with our criminals in the UK. it is unbelievable the level of crime on the up due to soft sentences, padeophiles and other low life being let out of prison early or on menial sentences and committing offences pretty much straight away. look at people with mental conditions who are released, hardly ever monitored and then kill again. when the criminals from europe get here, we will definately be on a roll!

Answer 10

Where I live the police ran some lady over who was laying on the beach. They medical examiner said she might have lived if the police helped her instead of getting scared and fleeing the scene. There were plenty of witnesses.
So, no I don't think the police are soft on innocent people or crimminals.

12/12/06
OXNARD, CA (AP)

Conolly, 49, died June 12 from blunt force head and chest injuries after being run over by the officers' Chevy Tahoe SUV while she sunbathed on Mandalay Beach, according to a coroner's report.

Conolly, of Sioux City, Iowa, was in town to watch her son, Ronnie Bassett, get married.

The wedding took place the day before Conolly was killed.

The two officers told investigators they were not aware of what happened until they were summoned back to the scene 20 minutes later by a 911 call.

The claim was filed with the city on behalf of Basset and his sister, Tammie Krieger, both of Minnesota. In addition to monetary damages, they are asking the city to adopt beach-driving policies that will make patrols safer.

Such policies have been implemented in other coastal cities, including Los Angeles and Miami Beach.

"I need an explanation of how these two men could not have seen my mother, lying in a bright blue swimming suit, on the beach right in front of their SUV," Bassett said in a statement.

The city's special counsel, Alan Wisotsky, said he is unable to comment until the District Attorney's Office completes its investigation to determine if a crime was committed.

Chief Assistant District Attorney James Ellison said it's premature to comment on the investigation.

Oxnard is located about 55 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.