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By that logic, homeless people would be committing violent crimes in front of cops left and right in order to ensure a lifetime of "free" room and board.
Actually, most people find the loss of liberty, more than offsets free room and board.
I think the best thing is job training or education for the last year of a multi year sentence. Punishment then rehabilitation.
Those stats are for federal prisoners only. They comprise only a small fraction of all prison and jail inmates in the United States and are skewed toward drug offenders because drug trafficking is a federal offense.
Actually, most people find the loss of liberty, more than offsets free room and board.
I think the best thing is job training or education for the last year of a multi year sentence. Punishment then rehabilitation.
Exactly. That's why it's silly to think that offering education in prison will incentivize people to go there.
And I would suggest starting with education first (to immediately get people in a better mindset and occupied so that they don't have a chance to start forming gangs and hardening up for survival), and then have job training during the last year.
Upon completion of the sentence for a first-time offender, expunge their records immediately.
These things, as well as proper mental health treatment throughout their stay as well as referrals for them to continue any necessary treatment afterwards, will absolutely diminish the recidivism rate, thus saving a whole lot of tax money in the long run.
Last edited by ohhwanderlust; 03-12-2018 at 09:40 AM..
while I think the linked story in the OP is just stupid, I do think there is something in it that might be worth considering.... of course my view of the whole issue is radically different from most peoples view...
No prisons shouldn't look like a college campus. it should look and feel like a jail. because you did something terrible to get there. you don't get nice things.
however
I wonder if we wouldn't be better off taking every single convicted criminal, then put them thru some process that determines what education level/abilities they possess then see what they are best at and as part of their sentence they have to learn a trade or get some kind of skill/education that translates to productivity in the real world.
then have them work that jobskill to pay for the education we gave them... BEFORE they are released....
and @redwood66, I spent a year and a half working in a prison back in my college days as a jailer. so I have some idea of the issue.
See their POV of a country that treats them as second class citizens, if as good as that, for the whim of the outside.
Sorry to butt in, but:
To put yourself in a criminal's place, you would have to put yourself in his place: commit the crime he committed. Then try to get away with it. Then feel bad for being caught. Then feel no remorse. Then try your damndest to excuse your crime. Then feel resentment for being punished. And anger for your life being interrupted by prison.
After doing all this and experiencing (or not) these feelings, you would have to feel the criminal's aggrievment toward society for not letting him out.
Above all, you'd have the feel the ruthlessness, selfishness, and complete unconcern for others that let him do his crime to begin with.
Sympathizing is not the same as experiencing.
Criminals tell good stories. They have a keen appreciation for their audience and don't hesitate to exploit any sympathy or imagined understanding directed their way. They are liars par excellence.
while I think the linked story in the OP is just stupid, I do think there is something in it that might be worth considering.... of course my view of the whole issue is radically different from most peoples view...
No prisons shouldn't look like a college campus. it should look and feel like a jail. because you did something terrible to get there. you don't get nice things.
however
I wonder if we wouldn't be better off taking every single convicted criminal, then put them thru some process that determines what education level/abilities they possess then see what they are best at and as part of their sentence they have to learn a trade or get some kind of skill/education that translates to productivity in the real world.
then have them work that jobskill to pay for the education we gave them... BEFORE they are released....
and @redwood66, I spent a year and a half working in a prison back in my college days as a jailer. so I have some idea of the issue.
A nice notion, but the vast majority of those doing hard time probably did not make it out of high school are not college material.
Also much of what they did to get into prison pays better than training them to work at McDs.
Interesting how people actually *are* rehabilitated in other countries, where prisoners have much more comfortable conditions.
And mind you, those are more likely to actually have been violent offenders, considering that other countries aren't obsessed with locking people up for every little thing the way the US is.
No USA is the best country on Earth we are not like other countries. Sure we have a high infant mortality rate for a western nation and we bankrupt people with medical debt but the USA is the greatest.
A nice notion, but the vast majority of those doing hard time probably did not make it out of high school are not college material.
Also much of what they did to get into prison pays better than training them to work at McDs.
then force them to learn a trade they can use in prison to help pay for their time.
I agree most aren't college material but all can learn some trade above flipping burgers.
and its not about being nice to these people. its about forcing productivity. for some it will be rehabilitation. for a large number its just to keep them from sitting and doing nothing.
shoot, if I could wave a magic wand, most crimes would have a dollar figure attached and not a time period for incarceration. you go to jail and work until you pay your debt to society.
then force them to learn a trade they can use in prison to help pay for their time.
I agree most aren't college material but all can learn some trade above flipping burgers.
and its not about being nice to these people. its about forcing productivity. for some it will be rehabilitation. for a large number its just to keep them from sitting and doing nothing.
shoot, if I could wave a magic wand, most crimes would have a dollar figure attached and not a time period for incarceration. you go to jail and work until you pay your debt to society.
I think trades training is an excellent idea. When I hire people to work on my rental properties I never run a background check and I treat them with respect and have never had a single problem. An aptitude test should absolutely be given to all prisoners to get them in programs they would benefit from. The goal should be to shrink the prison not grow as is currently happening.
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