If prisons were built on the foundation of rehabilitation, how exactly would it be possible to deem a prisoner fit to be allowed back into society? The current system for determining the suitability of inmates to be released into society is fundamentally flawed. This is because many of the former criminals reoffend, even if some people do think the justice system is also flawed in order for the owners of private prisons to make money. Even if the system was perfected, what would be done for repeat offenders after they have been deemed safe for society? I do not think it is possible to have a system that can cause not a single inmate to reoffend. In my mind, the idea of the use of punishment seems more reliable for solving the problem of criminals.
At the moment, I think that the current prison system is not ideal. There are some aspects that can be seen as cruel and unusual punishment. I do not see the point of extended solitary confinement or life sentences with no parole. For solitary confinement, I think that it is cruel and unusual because the inmate is isolated from the rest of humanity. For life sentences with no parole, that criminal will never be able to get out of the prison, and I think that it is better to put them out of their misery. There is no reason to prolong the life of a person if they are only meant to suffer for their remaining bleak years. This seemingly cruel and unusual punishment should be stopped and execution should be done, regardless how terrible this solution may sound. It is better to end the suffering, instead of continuing it.
In the end, I think that capital punishment is the best option for the people that do not seem to be able to be rehabilitated. No matter how harsh this sounds, it can not be as terrible as the current system of serving a life sentence with no parole, or the fact that a prisoner can be put in solitary confinement for an extended period of time. Other than these situations, I think that rehabilitation should always be considered first, but harsher punishment should be handed out for repeat offenders, In my mind, this would be the best solution for society.
3 comments:
Bawan,
I also believe that our whole prison system is definitely far from ideal. It's also hard for me to completely stand by something without disagreeing with it. I don't think we has humans should decide if someone lives or dies, but I also find myself saying it is okay to give the death penalty to those who are ruthless murderers who only seek to harm people. I just don't think we're going to find a way that is near perfect any time soon. I think what you said about a harsher punishment will be more ideal than actually killing someone, but I just don't know how far that will go and how effective it will be for everyone.
Bawan,
I agree that the prison system is not ideal. There are many things that should be worked on in order to better rehabilitate people back into society. When prisoners come out into the world, their criminal record largely restricts them to the type of job they can obtain. They are even excluded from shelters and other public service places. These criminals, a great majority from working class, result back to crime in order to support themselves.
As for the death penalty, I am not sure that it is under our authority to sentence a human being to death. I do believe that as a society, we have to ensure that the rules in place are obeyed. When these rules are disrupted in a serious manner such as murder, the person should be removed from society. The rules and rulings should be just. The argument as to what exactly is "just" is another discussion. Ideally, we should carry out justice under good faith and in the best possible way.
I agree with the fact that thee are some criminals and criminal acts that come from a deranged mind and those people cannot be rehabilitated because who's to say they won't go back into society and repeat the same type of crime. No one can know that for sure and that should not be a risk the prison or justice system should be willing to take.
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