Justice is human nature. When we are wronged in any way it is hard for us to get over it and turn the other cheek. We search for some way to get back at the other person. Public ridicule, jail time, and even death are just some examples of how we humans manifest our hunger for justice. But we have to stop and ask ourselves if we are dehumanizing our enemies. At what point can we just say that someone has done something so terrible that they don’t even deserve to have basic human rights. As Americans we have left the decision up to our state and federal governments but maybe it’s time to step in and speak up for the rights of some criminals. Yes, criminals also have rights, they are human just like us. Prison is not a place anyone wants to end up. We alll have seen shows featuring life inside prisons and penitentiaries. We know what it’s like. Every day is literally a fight and in the end prisoners come out worse then when they entered. We have to realize that if we actually care about rehabilitation for petty criminals prison is not that. No where along the line is prison rehabilitative. Prisoners are treated like livestock and are dehumanized while they are serving time. They only know prison life and there situation is worse if the actually get out because the outside world is too much of a shock for their traumatized minds. The US justice system needs a reconditioning for the 21st century. Prisons are a medieval method of punishment that leads to nowhere.
Criminals who get life in prison are also humans. They have their rights and I believe one of their rights should be the ability to choose if they want to keep living or not. Once they are sentenced to a life sentence it is basically over for them. They should be able to choose if they want to live on the daily torture of prison or just end it there. Some people are of the opinion that it’s an easy way out but what I personally don’t understand is why death is the biggest penalty a criminal can get. It’s not an easy way out. Justice is served and the criminal will not be added on to the amount of money that is funneled into some of these prisons.
Public humiliation is a punishment dating back to the early history of the US. Is it effective? You can decided. I believe that it isn’t. In the episode of black mirror that we watched it seems to only be effective at making the big boss money. The criminal was dehumanized to the point where she didn’t even know what she did wrong. The were basically yelling and taking revenge on someone who didn’t do anything. Once here memory was erased she didnt know what she did so any justice after that point is irrelevant. There’s no point. It’s basically like yelling at a baby for crying. He can’t do anything about it and there is no useful point to yelling.
2 comments:
I completely agree. Jails are supposed to be a place to better yourself, a rehabilitation. Instead, they are usually an uninhabitable place where a lot of torture aspects are seen.
I agree especially since most criminals are in there for petty crimes. I think that the normal, torture-like practices should be still around but only for killers, rapists, etc but that's simply because I believe that they should actually be punished and not rehabilitated because they're monsters. However, criminals like drug users should be able to be rehabilitated and not suffer from torture-like practices.
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