should education and recreation be disallowed in prisons?

Question

why should we let criminals get smarter and bigger?

Answer 1

A prison is punishment for crimes...not exactly a school! That is not what our tax dollars pay for. Lesser criminals deserve reform and education....but hardcore deserve the worst condito\ions possible.

Answer 2

How about giving a person that made a mistake an opportunity to better themselves, most criminals are products of broken homes with financial hardships, and sometimes prison can be a wake up call for an individual to get his life straight, that is the whole purpose of prison, well it suppose to be anyway. I've seen people incarcerated for child support these men are not criminals maybe they just ran into financial hardships, or a person behind bars for failure to pay taxes, how does that affect you anyways prison are big business now. these prisons get compensated by each individual they have in custody. I am pretty sure that these prisons don't mind these individuals keeping themselves healthy so they keep getting those resources as long as they can, have a heart at least let a person feed their brain.

Answer 3

I think prison should be a place that criminals do not want to visit again and as such there should be certain luxuries that prisoners should not be allowed. It isn't much of a deterrent if you get a better life in prison than outside. However, I do believe that criminals, particularly young ones who may not have had great access to educational opportunities, should be given a chance to reform and therefore should have access to educational courses which can allow them to gain legitimate employment on their release. Perhaps prisoners who return to prison should be given less "opportunities" and a harder time each time they return.

One thing that does bug me is when convicted murderers complain that their human rights are being violated. As far as I can see, if you kill someone you forfeit your human rights absolutely.


Oh and...

"imagine what life might be like if you had to sit in a cell 24.7 with nothing to do"

I think it might put me off doing it again! Should that not be part of the point of prison? :)

Answer 4

Here's my take on the subject...no one else is obligated to agree or approve. I have worked in prisons. Those people aren't there because they did nice things and good works. I don't agree with giving convicts anything but the basics to live. They shouldn't have tv, education is a waste, give them a mule and a plow and they won't need recreation. If they want to worship (and why they should, I don't know...they didn't care what their God said about whatever they did) then let them talk to their God, privately, in prayer. They don't need taxpayers to build them a temple or a church or whatever; you probably couldn't drag them into one when they were on the outside. Give them solid, nourishing food, but cut out the commissary where they get potato chips and M&M's....that's food for the free world, they gave that up. And for those who think this is a harsh way to think, I will tell you what a co-worker of mine from Pakistan had to say about our prison system. He said in Pakistan he would not have a job. That's because, in Pakistan, he said "Whatever your crime, the punishment is death. You steal, it's death...you murder, it's death. You get convicted; 5 days later, you get an appeal. You will lose it. They execute you. So, no job for me." In the light of that, I don't think prisoners in the US have much to bellyache about. They should go to Pakistan.

Answer 5

So what would you propose be done with those in prison? Actually the prison system is often referred to by ex-cons as college-where they learn how to be better at committing crimes and avoid being caught. Without academic learning and recreation wouldn't that leave even more time to learn the art of crime?
Modern technology makes house arrest a less expensive alternative to prison-but prison has become a big business enterprise in it's self with little concern about true rehabilitation.

Answer 6

Yes, we want them smarter, since that's the best way for them to become productive members of society when they come out. As to stronger, it doesn't really matter if the guy pointing a gun at me is muscular or not. But recreation keeps them occupied, and less likely to get so bored they'll riot.

Answer 7

No but perhaps limited. Those here who think it should be completely done away with are uneducated themselves. These type of peope are part of the large problem that makes it difficult for a reformed offender to reintegrate into their local communities.

Answer 8

No, though the society looked down on them; their rights to gain more knowledge should not be deprived. As soon as they get out behind bars, other prisoners who choose to live in God's protection may use the things they learned from the jail to overcome the wickedness of the world.

Answer 9

Prison is supposed to be used to reform the prisoner and make them into a functional part of society. That is why those are allowed.

Answer 10

No can do...the courts would have a field day with prisoner lawsuits...good idea though.