Should we punish or rehabilitate prisoners?

[WindAtMyBack]

I think the order of priority should be:

1) Get them off the streets
2) Punish them, which really means create a deterrent.
3) Rehab

I think most who are capable of being rehabbed will do it themselves. They will simply decide when they get out that they aren't going back.

I strongly feel that when they do get out, that are not just dumped penniless back into society with no future. They need to have the opportunity to change, and dumping them penniless is not the way to do it. If they are going to change, that's when they are going to do it.

[zeitgeist057]

Assuming your goal is a healthy society, rehabilitation is a logical choice. Punishing people causes distress, trauma, specifically such as PTSD, and in the aspect of creating a culture, it is “cutting off your nose to spite your face. “. While it may seem like justice for some to be cruel to those who have been cruel to others, that is a downward spiral that simply causes more pain and suffering in the end. The way for society to move upwards is for people to be kind, compassionate, pay it forward, and treat other people with respect.

[MCheetah]

Both. It really depends on the situation. Rehabilitate for non-violent offenders, and punish murderers, rapists, and pedophiles.

I've been watching a lot of Jim Can't Swim (criminal psychology) videos on YouTube, especially the police interrogations. What most of the worst criminals have in common - the ones who plead "not guilty" when they're clearly guilty of rape and murder, and were later convicted of such, like Chris Watts, Casey Anthony, and Jodi Arias - is that they're massive narcissists. Not even sociopaths, because true sociopaths can't feel any empathy towards others, even if they wanted to. These are people who think they can get away with these things because they think others are too stupid to catch them, or they spent their entire lives getting their way and never facing consequences for their actions.

Narcissistic criminals like these CHOOSE not to care about anyone but themselves. Those kinds of people can't be rehabilitated. They're too vain and too stubborn to change at that point in their lives. Maybe if they're under 21, but it's otherwise unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Punishment doesn't accomplish anything. Unless you plan to keep them separated from society forever, you need to rehabilitate them before you introduce them back into society, otherwise they will just commit another crime and go right to jail. We need to provide inmates with mental healthy services, offer education, and help them find employment after they are released. If they are not mentally sound, if they can't find a job or support themselves through legal means, what choice do they actually have but to commit crime? Give them a reason not to.

[JuliaStyles]

Rehabilitation means you are planning on releasing them eventually. For non violent crimes I am all for it. For violent, or worse, I would not want them to be released ever. That would be like giving a murderer an extra couple of bullets in case they missed you the first time. The problem is most prisons are overcrowded with inmates sleeping in stacked beds in a gymnasium or some other place because there are not enough cells. They are places where correctional officers have to be constantly on their toes because some prisoners are just waiting to shank them. To rehabilitate you would have to redo the whole prison system and build new prisons and there doesn't seem to be the resources for either.

[mélancolie]

depends what they did & why.

like if they're in for stuff like drugs (esp just using or possessing, which is why most people are in prison), shoplifting, and minors crimes, yea def rehabilitate not punish

if it's for more severe stuff but not like the worst of the worst like armed robbery, theft, white collar crime, exc... it should be a balance.

if it's the worst of the worst like pedophilia, rape, murder, torture, exc... no rehabilition, just punishement (or death honestly) unless it was like for very specific situations like being coerced into murdering someone or raping someone when you have mental retardation, stuff like that

[Jersey2]

I think we should have very different prisons. Like a ladder system, you go into an initial prison to see if you would be a good fit for a more cooperative prison with other inmates, if so you move up the ladder. If you are not following the rules you I’ve to a more restrictive prison and you keep going down to a Supermax if necessary.

The ones moving up can keep going and get less restrictive prisons and if in for non-violent crimes they can even go into a prisoner made small town where they learn life skills, a trade and work together in their community. This I think will change them.

[Kurαȷ]

Most psychological issues that cause the more serious instances of criminal behavior (such as antisocial personality disorder) are of either genetic or neurodevelopmental nature, rehabilitation really isn't an option for such criminals, especially the worst ones such as murderers and rapists.

[jshm2]

Neither.

You should do absolutely nothing but leave it to the courts, judiciaries, services and charities to deal with a case by case basis. Since the 40's people and politicians have increasingly been meddling in the system and making things worse for all parities.

[Anonymous]

The legal system is complex. Private prison companies spend fortunes to pressure lawmakers into building harsher sentences for minor crimes. The folks in prison are then exposed to social circles of other folks who support themselves by operating outside of the law.

Without rehabilitation efforts, we trap a class of people into circling in and out of prison for the rest of their lives. We create legalized slaves.

[SuccessfulHornDog]

Are all prisoners the same?
Did they all commit the same crime or kind of crime?
Do all prisoners have the same capacity for rehabilitation?
Is there any reason to lock someone up other than rehabilitation?

There is no single answer. Each case should be evaluated and some prisoners should be locked away for the length of their sentence and others should be given A CHANCE at rehabilitation. If they violate their chance then they lose that opportunity

[Astarlessnightsky]

In term of long term crime prevention, rehabilitation is way more effective. And i think thats what should be the goal of a justice system.


Just punishment as revenge has no benefit for anyone.

[genericname85]

wtf are you talking about? xD being in prison IS the punishment. so what punishment are you speaking of?

[josephinelcajon]

Execute on the spot! They will never do it again and save us billions! The old west ways worked best!

[andreasderjuengere]

It could be 2 stages:
1: offer them options for improvements.
2: if they don't use that option - dump them

[007kingifrit]

usually punish, rehabilitation is only for first time or low level offenders

[msc545]

We should rehabilitate those that are amenable to it, and just contain, not punish, the ones who are not.

[OddBeMe]

Funny that “punish” isn’t popular but capital punishment is.

[Anonymous]

Those who falter and those who fall MUST pay the price

[Ilickvulvas]

Some can’t be rehabilitated

[KrakenAttackin]

We should do both.