Convicted criminals should be allowed to serve their sentence with honest families do you agree ?

Question

If the Government paid families a lodging allowance they could take in convicted criminals as an alternative to prison. This would allow the criminal a chance to rehabilitate and I feel sure that they would respond to this gestureof kindness.
It would also give us a chance to apologise to them in a small way for having created the society which turned them to crime in the first place.
I would be one of the first to offer the hand of friendship and my eighteen year old daughter says she would gladly share her room with a criminal

Answer 1

I'm not a criminal so does that disqualify me from sleeping with your daughter?

Answer 2

No, I do not agree. First because criminals are dangerous. They are not puppies who need to be trained differently. They are heartless human beings who, even if they are one time offenders, have usually committed hundreds of the same offense or different ones before and only been caught one time. Most of them do not care about your need to "apologize" to them for our society. They will rape you and your children or kill you and your children when you turn your back. They will continue to take from you for as long as you give. I agree that our justice system needs a serious overhaul. But this is not the answer. Your idea would cost the govt. more money in the long run. The average "family" are not able to actually know what rehabilitation is let alone to rehabilitate. If you want to change someones life- offer your help AFTER they are released from prison. And choose this person wisely. To be honest, I wouldn't even do that. While there are alot of people in prisons who haven't committed the crime, or aren't bad people - there are alot more who have and lie about it. Do you want to take that chance with your family? I am afraid for you. I truly am afraid for you.

Answer 3

The criminals that are convicted should serve there full term in prison as they were the ones who committed the crime in the first place so they should accept the consequence The justices system is to soft on convicts if they did the full time maybe they wouldn't be so keen to co mitt another crime as at the moment they know they will get a softer sentence but will co mitt more crimes once they are let out of gaol

Answer 4

not bad that mickyboy, just needs some refinement, like dont put your own in danger, its like finding homes for aufans, if one had a fair sized garden one could have a two or three man prison biult seperat from the house, and be paide a fee, depends on the gravity of the crime, if its just a local menace then why not, private enterprise, and a good insight into right and wrong, so they could be properly taught.its workable, and like you say society is just so bad at the top its rotting at the bottom, and its creating the criminal.

Answer 5

You obviously don't have much contact with the sort of people that I meet on a daily basis at work. I wouldn't want any of them to even know where I live, let alone invite them into my house!

I think you might be being a bit naive if you think a few words of kindness would rehabilitate these people. Most of them are scumbags and a waste of skin who are totally beyond hope and only looking out for themselves.

Answer 6

My god, man........ you obviously are a very nice person, but you are so far out of touch.

Apoligize to THEM for creating a society that turned them to crime? Are you kidding me?

People are the masters of their own destiny. We are all given the oportunity in the USA to suceed. We just need to work hard to achive it.

I grew up poor, in a single parent home, attended public school and lived in a trailer park. I made the choise at a very young age to make more of myself. I started working at 12 and never looked back. I put myself through college while working full time. I achieved the dream.

Some of the people I grew up with? The ones with the same back ground and opportunity as me? I know of one that is sitting in prison right now on robbery and murder charges.

So, no.... its a cop out to say society has created these people. They knew right and wrong. They chose to do drugs, fail in school and to become criminals.

And do you not understand that many of these criminals in the world would love your idea as you would become their next prey? Have you ever actually spent time with the criminal element or do you live your life by text book theories you leaned in college? You sit in your suburb and look at the 'poor people that society has failed' and believe that any sort of act of kindness would cause them to turn over a new leaf.

It will not happen. Some are just evil. Some just want a free ride and will harm anyone in their way to get what they want.

Here is an example for you, a case I worked while in homicide:

A 17 year old thug is basiclly living on the streets, by choise, stealing cars, slinging crack and committing other criminal acts. His very elderly grandfather decides to take him under his wing. He forces him to come live with him, makes him go to school and provides rules and a stable home.

Unsatisfied that he now must live by the rule "of the man" he soon creeps into his grandfathers room one night and bashes his head in with a cement block. Then he steals gramps wallet and car and goes on a crime spree with his buddies.

So, hows that work for your theory?



Sorry about the typo's... I think faster than I type and my spell check won't work.... and I never proof read.

Answer 7

Are you absolutely mad? Is this a serious suggestion?

Would you be happy to have a chronic heroin addict living in your house? You'd only need to leave the house for an hour and it would be empty on your return.

Of course all the criminal's equally criminal mates would be around visiting all the time, people with as little respect for the law and others as your lodger, that would make you popular with your neigbours.

I don't mind giving people a break but having them in my home, no way!

What a great way to fiddle some money out of the government/tax payer too, a scheme born to be abused.

Answer 8

Not me i dont want no criminal with me, can u imagine having a pedophile living with u, or a man convicted of manslaughter, or a domestic violence criminal. i say if they do the crime then pay the time. I am sorry but i wont put me or my family in jeporady from some person convicted of sexual abusing anything and i wont let a murderer in our house. I will protect my family but i wont enable a criminal to take advantage of us ...

Answer 9

Well if you are willing to put a dangerous violent criminal into the same room as your daughter then you are a very silly person.
Convicted criminals should serve their sentence in tough hard working conditions, and then after their release, then they can be rehabilitated.
BUILD MORE PRISONS!!!

Answer 10

Let's hope it's not Charles Bronson or Peter Sutcliff your daughter is sharing the room with.
A great many convicts are habitual criminals and are institutionalised , have psychiatric problems and no matter how much you try to help them they will always go back to prison.

Answer 11

If you are set on doing something good then you should try taking in children. I am sure they have a foster care program where you live.
I know people who have helped with the foster care program. They had to padlock there bedroom door.
I just live next door to them and had to worry about being robbed blind.
I think you should start by taking in the young inexperienced teens first you might have a fighting chance.
I am not saying all foster kids are like that but most are.
Also if they have been sexually abused you might want to keep a close eye on your daughter. many who have been sexually molested at an early age have a tendency to sexually molest other children.
In any case.... good luck.