In my original message,
(news:<***@posting.google.com>)I was
addressing the fact that prisons are pointless, its a place to put
"bad people" and forget about them. But everyone seems to forget that
they get out eventually, and that they get out after X years of fear,
hate, fighting, etc every minute of every day. Now they are more
powerful and less likely to become productive members of society.
When prisons were first used, people didnt sit in a cell and think
(this is a figurative statement, yes they go in the yard etc) but were
put in a cell to be physically abused. This old testament treatment is
outdated today where, especially in america, we have so much money
that could be spent on targeting specific enviornments where crime
breeds, finding out why the crime exists, alternatives to the crimes
commited.
What about in prisons they could offer, specialized job training, job
placement, reduced rent in areas not infested with crime far from
there original home. Maybe after a life of fighting, drugs, death, etc
a person isnt able to deal with white collar suburban life, so how
about military tactics or special forces, civilian police gang
relations (again far from home where nobody knows the convict), riot
squad. Sublimation is using an undesirable trait for the benefit of
society, shouldnt more be researched in that field.
Take a drug lord for example, obviously they have strong managerial
characteristics, charisma, determination, willpower, perceverince, its
just steered in the "wrong way". Now remove someone from prison, with
a prison record, who once made more in a night than cops do in a
month, had status, power and ask him to work in a convienence store.
Thats all he'll be working with a prison record following him around.
And why are we trying to remove the so many positive characteristics.
Take a person who loves to use exotic instruments to inflict pain and
hear people scream and moan, we call them dentists (textbook example
of sublimation)
But dont misunderstand, today isnt the day to let criminals out and
hope for the best. They arent in prison because theyre nice
embezelars, but rapists, torturers and people who would slit your
throat for a new pair of shoes. I agree totally with <nadacomin>. But
now is the time to change these outdated practices of "if you're bad
we'll hit you."
As <nadacomin> also stated, (paraphrased) "we have free will and
personal responsibility." With this free will so many people choose
the "wrong" path. Why is that, maybe some feel differently towards
personal responsibility then somebody raised with 3 meals a day, tv,
telephone and a car.
But why wouldnt these ideas work? The taxpayers are jealous and
arragont. "Why should criminals be given stuff, i sit here and suffer
and get nothing" they think, "then why dont we all just go out and be
criminals." Its expected pety logic in a captialist society where
everyone wants to be better than their neighbor. These people too
chose a path, and they suffer in a differnt way.
any comments?