Just curious... are you for dead sentence or not

[vashti]

If life for inmates was pretty much the same whether they were inside or outside of prison, I don't know why anyone would bother trying to avoid serving time.

I agree that prisons are worse elsewhere, but to imply this is a good thing is to diminish ourselves as a society. The quality of a society is measured not only in how the majority live, but also how the minority live. We are supposed to pride ourselves in valuing human life, unlike third world countries. People in prison are supposed to lose their freedom, which they do. I have no need for people to be treated inhumanely in addition to this.

[vashti]

Also, to say that a less cushy prison system would deter crime is obviously untrue. If it were true, why would there be a need for prisons in third world countries?

[Tone]

Oooh I like your last 2 posts shh!, very very very true and I couldn't agree more!

Nice way of puttin it!

[Junsui]

I don't know. I don't plan on going to prison so I don't worry about it.

[Rosebud]

IMO nobody really wants to get caught for their crime because they want to get away with it..they want to keep on doing it. They obvisouly don't care if they go to prison for it otherwise, why would they do it in the first place? I'm not saying we need to be Inhumane to stop crime, I'm just looking into their minds as to how they see the ramifications of their actions.

[carpflounder]

I just don't think life in prison is the worst thing that can happen to these people, most of their mindsets don't change because they think and survive the same way they do on the streets. They do the same things, they kill, they rape, they indulge in drugs...it's all the same so what's the difference of spending life in prison as to doing the same things on the street?

I don't know how your prisons but around here they aren't nice. Weights are banned in prisons here. If an inmate happens to be one of the ones who rape chances are he is HIV positive. I don't think its too pleasant living the rest of your life with that! But seriously though, were do you get the impression that prisons are these cake-walk motel lodgings that criminals indulge in..? The prisons that in your state, a rumor that ALL inmates get cable tv, or based off of San Quentin here in the bay?

[Rosebud]

I don't know how your prisons but around here they aren't nice. Weights are banned in prisons here. If an inmate happens to be one of the ones who rape chances are he is HIV positive. I don't think its too pleasant living the rest of your life with that! But seriously though, were do you get the impression that prisons are these cake-walk motel lodgings that criminals indulge in..? The prisons that in your state, a rumor that ALL inmates get cable tv, or based off of San Quentin here in the bay?

Hey carp, In no way did I ever say prison was a cake walk. Weights are probably banned because they are used to harm another person. Yeah a person could be HIV positive. I'm not saying all prisoners are not afraid to go to prison. Or don't have to fight for their life. I'm talking about the ones that do these things to others in prison..the ones that rape other inmates not the ones that are being raped in prison for example.

I'm sorry I just don't agree the worst punishment for ALL criminals should just be life in prison. That doesn't mean I think they should be sent to death, I just think the system is majorly flawed!

[Tone]

I dunno... I think if I knew the REST OF MY LIFE I had to spend it in PRISON - wow that would be hard to imagine...

[vashti]

If you don't think they should be sent to death, and you don't think they should be in jail for life, then what do you think should happen Rosebud?

[Rosebud]

Yeah but your not a harden criminal either Tone!

And Vashti I don't know. I'm not for the death penalty and I'm not against it. Each situation is differnet and should be treated differently. Those are the only real 2 options we have in this country but obviously neither one of them are working very well.

[vashti]

What do you mean not working very well? The reason people are sent to prison is to punish them, and I think inmates are certainly being punished. The possibility of prison acting as a deterrent is incidental, and not the primary goal of prison sentences. As long as you have divisions between rich/poor, educated/uneducated, good families/bad families, mentally ill/healthy, there will always be crime. It will never go away.

[Junket]

Yes that true too that in jail if you rape or you are a women beater... you get the shit kicking.. by the inmate... they are pretty strick with that one...

Where are you from?

And where did you hear that women beaters and rapists are harrassed in prison?

The only thing I've ever heard down here in the U.S. is that the child molestor/rapists get the treatment, not some simple wife beater.

Oh, and by the way, try not to post 5 replies in a row.

It's annoying.

There are other better ways to reply to other user's posts.

[Rosebud]

What do you mean not working very well? The reason people are sent to prison is to punish them, and I think inmates are certainly being punished. The possibility of prison acting as a deterrent is incidental, and not the primary goal of prison sentences. As long as you have divisions between rich/poor, educated/uneducated, good families/bad families, mentally ill/healthy, there will always be crime. It will never go away.

It's not working well because the "Ideal" situation, is that if they commit a crime they are punished by jail for however long..if they are set free the expectation is that they will not commit another crime because of being "punished" by emprisonment before. That rarely happens. If they are sentenced to life (which I imagine is for a pretty hanious crime) that is a punishment but most of those "types" of criminals still feel nothing for doing their crimes and don't care they are in prison. Yes they'd rather be in the "real world" but to them it's just another place. So how are the ones that don't care actually punished? Just IMO.

[Mish]

There are prisons in other areas that are worse than the ones here in the US.

Maybe we should have an inmate exchange program. Send our bad prisoners to prisons in countries like Burma, Columbia and North Korea. Send out post cards with pictures to all the local hoods who miss their favourite criminals

[Mish]

As long as you have divisions between rich/poor, educated/uneducated, good families/bad families, mentally ill/healthy, there will always be crime. It will never go away.

And in some countries worse than the others

(Comparing the crime rate in his head between US and Canada)