What is prison about?

[LaureenVO]

I feel like prison is meant to become a better person. The goal is to not break the law again. That's why i believe the Norwegian prison system is the best in the world. It's all about rehabilitation, and not about punishment.

What do you think? Is the Norwegian prison system or the USA prison system better?

[NamerOfStars]

The rates of recidivism certainly suggest that the Norwegians have the better idea. I don't know if it's the BEST, but it's better than what we're doing here.

I once was working in a fast food place, and one day, a guy came in near closing time, and struck up a conversation with me while he ate (I was doing front of house work, and so eagerly took the chance to simultaneously make a customer happy and stop the endless sweeping of a floor that was already clean). He'd just gotten out of prison, and was glad to talk to someone about more pleasant topics than usually dominate conversation there.

Whenever I've told people about the conversation we had, they always say something like "Weren't you nervous talking to a felon?" and I always get confused. Logically, someone who JUST GOT OUT of prison is going to clearly remember how much it sucks, and REALLY not want to go back (and besides, it could've been for tax evasion for all I knew), but beyond that, how are these people ever supposed to reenter society if they perpetually carry a stigma? We saw how that worked with Jean Valjean, and that was almost two centuries ago.

[Anonymous]

I like what I heard one inmate say on a program once "If you put a guy in prison for longer than 10 years, you should never let him out". Prisons unfortunately are cages where we store undesirables. Half ate mentally ill or drug addicted and that fact has landed them in prison. Even if the are able to be rehabilitated. Prison typically does the opposite.

[LaureenVO]

I understand. From statistics Norway has the lowest crime rates in the world. So maybe rehabilitation does work :)

[Opinion Owner]

Yeah, unfortunately prisons are a moneymaker here in the United States. Believe me, I'm very much a capitalist, but I believe there are some things that should not have a profit motive. This is one of them.

[DryGermanGuy]

That the American prison system is ineffective and among the worst in the Western world is certainly no secret. There are initiatives at work to reform it.

https://youtu.be/wtV5ev6813I

[boggboss]

I think a healthy medium is what should be aimed for punishment with rehabilitation to ensure they don't go back

[Aiko_E_Lara]

It's more like to condemn those dangerous people from harming anyone again. Imprisoning one criminal can save more people's lives which is the objective. It's not about rehabilitation.

[LaureenVO]

I understand, but if someone doesn't have a life long sentence and they eventually get out, then what? They need to be rehabilitated so they won't do it again.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Then they're gonna take responsibility and to convict them again

[TallAnon]

It's also a deterrent. People should want to not go there.