Do you think American prisons need reform?

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

America has one of the highest rates of recidivism in the world where 80% of convicts get rearrested in 5 years on average. This implies that the prison system doesn’t rehabilitate but rather just creates a system of more prisoners.

Meanwhile countries like Norway have a recidivism rate of 20% with their prisons focusing almost exclusively on rehabilitation, with even maximum security facilities providing art, philosophy, and even political science classes to their prisoners alongside privileges like an air-conditioned cell with video games, and their own kitchens. This implies that focusing on rehabilitation actually helps these convicted people to become part of society with great ease upon release. What do you think?

Yes, prisons need reform in America

No, our prison system is fine

[MrOracle]

Yes.

However, it's vital to recognize that Norway and the US are in COMPLETELY DIFFERENT situations. Norway is a small, wealthy country with a mono-culture. Generally, Norwegians all have similar morals and values and a shared history. Like many insular countries with a long history of very limited immigration, they're on the same page.

The US, on the other hand, is a melting pot of MANY cultures, with many that are overtly hostile to each other. Further, we have a political party that is determined to pit races and cultures against each other - meaning we're antagonizing our own people. We also have an ENORMOUS problem with illegal immigration - which is NOT just limited to people from Mexico or even Central and South America, but from all over the globe. Many countries intentionally send their criminals here, knowing that they'll have little trouble getting in, and often being financially supported by our government. No other country on the planet would allow anything close to this amount of illegal immigration, because you can't have a viable country if you don't control your border.

These policies ENCOURAGE crime at an exponential level, so it should surprise no one that we have such a large prison population. You cannot talk about the problems IN prison until you address the major reasons that prisons have such a large stream feeding them. If you are drowning in new inmates, you can never have prison reform, so the problems that cause such high crime rates need to be addressed first.

[BoopBoopBeep]

Norway doesn't have gang violence or race relations to deal with in their prison. It's comparing apples to oranges.

That said, we need to reform our prisons. Bring back chain gangs. Voluntary of course. The prisoners are happier with something to do and the fresh air is good for everyone.

[alice55]

I think prison are too harsh in America, I mean what's it fear for an ex convict if he already spend 10 years in this hell? He's not gonna fear anything, he survived 10 years or more in it.

Prison in France is extremely shitty and similar to American one (except the women prison who is well keep bt that's cause there's only one).

I would say America should focus more on the reintegration than the punishment (except for the murderer and pedophile).

[Minahh]

Norway has a different mentality all together. I mean their system sounds good for like minor crimes. Prison should be a prison not a vacation camp. Look for example at pedophiles rehabilitation would be a waste of time and not even possible with majority of offenders.

[Jersey2]

Prisons need to be built like prisoner of war camps, cheap, in the middle of nowhere like a cold mountainous state, and run like the ones in El Salvador that house and control MS-13 gangs.

www.thesun.ie/.../

[Anonymous]

Norway is the second richest country in the world, which is why it has low recidivism. I would make two reforms:

1. Prisoners must work heavy labor to get out of prison, as well as in a concentration camp.

2. Women must share a cell with male prisoners, each woman must share a cell with a minimum of three men, of whom all prisoners must be extremely dangerous murderers or serial rapists, women must not have any type of supervision when they are sharing a cell with them men.

[OfMiceandMen]

Definitely. The whole idea of reform needs to be revamped. I am sorry, but prisons are a shit hole and things need to be tougher for the inmates. They learn nothing in prison other than to by time and wait so they can get out and do it again.

[Billlewis]

Why should we worry about reforming them? At the rate we're going, hardly anyone will be incarcerated, because they're letting a lot of cons out, and dropping charges against the ones who are apprehended.

[DryGermanGuy]

https://youtu.be/yOmcP9sMwIE?si=06bqqFEqJPhMe413

[LazerBean]

Yes, it needs to be reformed to make the experience so terrible that nobody wants to go back.

[Andres77]

No tv, no recreation, no internet, no weight room, no fun.

prison should be horrifically miserable so there would never be a repeat offender.

[Pudsmucker]

The prisons here in the United States are like recreational facilities or vacation spas. There is no rehabilitation.

[gothbxtch]

yes, DEFINITELY.

[Jennz6]

I’m not really sure