What is the purpose of prison?

Question

I mean, the call them Correctional Facilities, but are they really anything more than detention centers? Before anyone takes this question out of context, allow me to make myself clear. The "stated" purpose of prison is to correct individuals who have done wrong, but little actual rehabilitation ends up happening. Shouldn't the prison system put a little more thought into fixing inmates and less into just holding them until they get out and do something to end up back in?

Answer 1

There are several "purposes" of a prison system, and some of them are actually mutually exclusive. One of the primary purposes of the system is retribution, the notion that someone who "wrongs society" has to serve some just punishment, merely for the sake of punishment. Another is deterrence. There are 2 types of deterrence -- specific - that the individual who is incarcerated does not commit any additional crime while incarcerated (this is sometimes also referred to as incapacitation)-- and general -- that those who see OTHERS being locked up will be deterred from committing crime for fear of receiving the same punishment. Another purpose for a prison system is rehabilitation. This is the notion that criminals can be turned away from a life of crime by providing them with some service(s) such as education, vocation, social, etc. while they are incarcerated. The objective is to have them NOT return to prison.

The US prison system still purports to have each of these (and a few others) as purposes. Having never decided on what, exactly, is the goal of imprisonment, it is not surprising that we perform few of these goals very well at all. It is like making 10 new years resolutions and trying to do them all at once. Usually you can only make a partial effort at doing all of them, or you do 1 or 2 really well at the expense of the others. Until we decide what it is we want prisons to do and DEVOTE THE FULL RESOURCES to accomplishing that goal(s), we will continue to use a shotgun approach and miss the target.

Answer 2

Most place are called a penal system, in other words they are designed to penalize a person for unlawful behavior. They used to try to do the rehabilitation thing some time ago but it was a dismal failure costing a lot of money and still having the same percentage of repeat offenders.

While I'd certainly like to see them come out the system with no more interest in criminal intent, there doesn't appear to be a way to get it done. Some people are simply anti social and will never conform to the laws and values of the rest of society. Most of them end up in and out jail all of their life. Some end up in jail for life.

Some years ago the FBI somehow determined that over 70% of all violent crime was committed by just 6% of all criminals. I'd really like to see that 6% get locked up and the key throw away.

Answer 3

The purpose of prison has NEVER been rehabilitation. It is PUNISHMENT. Pure and simple. If it were for rehabilitation, then all inmates would be in some sort of classes every day. and very few are. Most are simply allowed to hang out with more heinous criminals than themselves. My stepson was in prison his whole Twenty's for two counts of attempted murder in a Gang-related incident. He went in with no high-school diploma. He came out with no high-school diploma. Now he is defending a case of aggravated battery, accused of beating up his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. Now, I am QUITE sure that he Could have obtained the GED, and probably some other trade training as well, during the 10 year ride, IF "hanging' Wit Da Homeys" and not getting labeled as a Punk was not more important.

Answer 4

Simply put, prison keeps the dirtbags away from my family and yours.

I could care less if the prison system does anything more than keep them locked up. Why should we "rehabilitate" them and give them an education that they spurned in the first place? Why should honest, hard working folks pay for not only their own betterment, but those who disregarded the rules of society?

Answer 5

The purpose of prison is not to rehabilitate. It's to punish. The rehabilitation is a secondary issue that was created by liberal thinkers who thought that the prisoners just lacked......education, skills, understanding, etc. Thefefore, the rehabilitation portion was created.

Answer 6

I worked for the dept of corrections for many years. We no longer try to rehabilitate .Prison is a way to keep individuals out of society for our protection. No where in the State documentation other than the name do the States clam to "Correct" criminals. Just incarcerate.

Answer 7

YOU MEAN FOR THE PEOPLE OR FOR THE LAW? PRISONS WERE MADE TO PUNISH THOSE WHO CRIMINALLY BREAK THE LAW REPEATABLY OVER AND OVER AGAIN .A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY IS TO HELP REHABILITATE PEOPLE WHO CRIMES ARE FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL USAGE.WHO ARE ADDICTED. NOW THESE DAYS PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PRISON FOR MISSING A VISIT WITH THERE POROLE OFFICER OR BECAUSE THEY HAD A DIRTY TEST. OR BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO WERE TO LIVE. THE POLICE ARE NOT HERE TO SERVE AND PROTECT THE PUBLIC, THEY ARE HERE TO HARRASE AND ARREST. MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE TRYING SO HARD TO FIND THE LITTLEST STUPIDEST THING JUST TO PUT YOU IN JAIL. WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND COPS ARE HUMAN TO THE ONLY THING IS THEY HAVE A BADGE AND WE DONT AND BELIEVE ME THEY ABUSE IT ALOT AND I MEAN ALOT. IF THEY WOULD FOCUS ON TRYING TO HELP THEN I DONT THINK THAT WE WOULD HAVE SO MUCH PEOPLE IN PRISON.

Answer 8

I agree to a certain point, they are there for reasons and they do have quite a bit of things to do and what is offered. But the only one who "cannot" learn or be rehabilitated are sexual offenders. They should remain there for ever, they will always offend again and many other offenders can be rehabilitated.

Answer 9

Prisons are a joke.A criminal gets a 20 yr sentence and they are out in 6.

Answer 10

yes, but it is expensive to just house them and man the facilities, how would this be possible legisically, also, most inmates are in on drug charges, hopefully getting clean is rehab enough