what can be done to make prisons more harsh? send prisoners to serve in the military? set up tents and make them sleep outdoors? make them work and pay for their own food? just a few that come to mind....
2007-09-27 05:36:30 · 10 answers · asked by Tx Guy 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Great post everyone just wanted your input on this topic. I just would like to see more prison officials involved in the creation of a more productive system. Something that will take the time away from prisoners who like to pass their time making up new gang signs, or planning the next crime.
2007-09-27 05:57:56 · update #1
Obviously you have never been to a prison. The conditions are MUCH tougher than the media ever lets on. Not only that but hepatitis and HIV are around 50%. In prison most people get Death Sentences... isn't that tough enough for you? Many get 23 hours solitary confinement with 1 hour excercise routine.
If you're talking about county jails, that's a different story.
2007-09-27 05:42:15 · answer #1 · answered by lu_dicrous 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You have a serious problem. You can't "unhumane" a prison system when we're trying to look more "human" to the world at large, after the prison abuse scandals at Abu Graib (however it's spelled, it was a disgrace.), and other incidents that make foreign nations look down on our concepts of justice.
While I suppose some prisoner rights could be taken away, there's not much you can do realistically to make prisons more harsh without defeating the purpose of rehabilitation (which is already on extremely thin ice as it is).
If your goal is a "noble" one, as I surely hope it is, consider this instead. By the time most criminals are put behind bars, they already have the notion in their heads that it's no big deal, or they can do it. Hit the population EARLY. First time a kid steals a candybar, bottle of soda, skateboard..put them in a cell. No going home with mommy and daddy. No parents talking people out of filing charges. Give them a taste. Second time, give them a bigger taste. Show children that juveniles aren't untouchable, and maybe they will stop believing that they are. That's my 2 cents.
2007-09-27 05:55:40 · answer #2 · answered by cjc1127 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is quite a lot of inconsistancy in how prisons are run in different areas of the country. Some do a pretty good job, in others conditions are pretty poor.
Many suffer from overcrowing, in which case, either gangs end up running most of the prison or no sort of rehabilitation or punishment is meted out. Just survival from day to day, incident to incident putting corrections officers and other staff at risk.
It is just another of the many needs we are not addressing because we spend too much were we should not. We need newer better prisons and more available space. We need some creative new ways to handle correction in America.
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2007-09-27 05:46:05 · answer #3 · answered by Jacob W 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm assuming the other 3 people who answered are/were inmates by the answers they gave. Prisons arent the best place to be but thats because of the people that live in them are there. You would be suprised at all the rights you gain when becoming an inmate. many free things that normal people have to pay for or cant get at all. Contrary to the one comment made about being locked down for 23 hrs, that is done only on the worst cases. Most inmates have alot of time out of their cells each day. They get education, medical, dental and phychological treatment all at your expense. They have work they can CHOOSE to do and get paid for it. They have recreation facilities to play in with all their friends and they get to have maid service from the guards. If they dont like the way they are treated they can grieve a guard and even get them fired. (admin is affraid of law suits)
Oh yeah, they can even demand special diets for many reasons.
I believe if we actually had prisons that were there for punishment instead of hotels for those that dont want to follow the rules we might have less crime as no one would want to go to a real prison.
2007-09-27 05:56:45 · answer #4 · answered by fdcapt302 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Spoken like someone who has never seen the inside of a prison. They are grim, miserable, frightening places, and nobody who has been in one ever wants to go back. The problem is that our whole concept of deterence is flawed. People don't refrain from committing crimes because they're afraid of prison, and making it worse won't change that. Giving people viable options for a decent life is the only thing that has ever reduced the incarcerated population. The US, the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, also locks up more of its citizens than any nation in history. There's someting terribly wrong with this picture.
2007-09-27 05:46:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I personnally don"t have an answer, but let me just say that at least the US is harsher then Canadian prisons. The sentences are way too minor (someone guilty of rape has a max sentence of 7 years) and some prisoners have access to university and college education... free of charge.
Something needs to be done and I agree that they lack true punishment. I like your last option, make them work for their shelter and their food.
2007-09-27 05:44:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have you never watched news segments on television about life inside? Prison life in the maximum security locations is not a walk in the park.
2007-09-27 05:46:01 · answer #7 · answered by Phurface 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Agreed, bring back the chain gang...hard physical labor would be a good thing for them.
2007-09-27 05:46:46 · answer #8 · answered by Run Lola Run 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
what would you want if your mother was in Prison?
2007-09-27 05:42:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i can see you've never been in jail , who told you this false info
2007-09-27 05:41:09 · answer #10 · answered by herpebump 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋