Why do we protect criminals?

[Trwsi]

Out western society seems to love protecting criminals. I’m English and killers can get released in like 15 years, people convicted of pedophilia get no punishment because they are ‘depress e’ (like the BBC presenter). Prisoners get realeased so quickly.
We need to be harsher on crime. Way harsher.

I agree

I disagree

[normalice]

If we wanted to be barbarians it makes sense to use power to punish. Of course it wouldn't be long at all until that power is wielded to oppress those who disagree with being barbarians, which is not supposed to be a crime but inevitability would be if barbarians get to say what the law is and how to enforce it.

But if we want to be civilized we have to strive to understand that no one is a criminal by birth. They made their decisions and we should know that they always made what they thought was the best decision based on their options because everyone does. So, the problem is either the options availible to them or their decision making process. In the case of the former it is actually society that should be punished if anyone, since society is responsible for providing people with their options. And if it is the latter if we are not just trying to rub their face in it because we have the upper hand, as though we were a bunch of monkeys, then what is the goal? It's hard to make the case that it should be anything other than correcting that decision making process.

To be civilized is to ascend beyond narcissism and join all the others who have done so. One only needs to glipse above the fray for an instant to get their bearings. The problem is there is no guarantee any particular person is seeing it even if you are holding it in front of their face, because seeing the world without the lens of narcissism can only be accomplished from within. Once someone has if they then choose to indulge in barbarism anyway, that's when it is appropriate to talk about exile and executions. But it's hard to know someone has and it is uncivilized narcissism to assume because you would have gotten it by now then they should have, too, and so have chosen to abandon it.

There are other reasons but they matter less, in my opinion. We need to stop seeking to punish or we need to stop calling ourselves civilized.

[razelove]

I agree for killers and pedophiles. They don't have a place in society. It also isn't worth having others pay the bills for their jail time. Unless the pedophiles are going to be castrated (I'm not sure what the equivalent would be for females), just execute them. They won't reform, just get better at hiding.

For killing, if it's premeditated, or results from another crime, same. Accidents happen, sometimes people die from them, allow penance from that crime. Jail is too much about punishment, and too little about redemption. Kill those who have no place and no redeeming into society, and put more emphasis on pushing the others into working and having a place in society.

We have laws with punishments so people fear the punishments, because breaking those norms in society can be advantageous in the short term, but will collapse a society in the long term. If the punishment isn't feared, or the rules aren't enforced, social order and society will break down.

[purplepoppy]

The oldest law in the UK still in force is the statute of marlborough 1267 that stipulates people are entitled to a fair trail and more importantly people can't take revenge or dish our their own punishments without the courts consent. That murderer who's just been released after 10 years is seen to have served his sentence and you don't have the right to punish him further.

As for a certain newscaster who got off lightly for collecting kiddy porn, he should have been jailed but we shouldn't have the right to hunt him down.

[Trwsi]

So you’re for protecting criminals. That’s sad. The Middle East gets it right with harsh punishments which is why they’re so safe.

[purplepoppy]

No, I'm for letting the law deal with them and not lynch mobs.

[spartan55]

I don't see honor killings catching on in the US.

[MisterWack]

Harsher on crime universally? No.
Pedophiles, sexual assaulters, rapists, abusers absolutely. It seems like we punish the victims that go through traumatic experience & a complete violation of their own body while the abuser gets celebrated / defended. Frankly there needs to be harsher punishment in that regards.

[RebelinSteel]

On average prisoners do get long term sentences, however stuff does hit social media and the news about ones that should get longer, on the hole sentences tend to be decent but yes they are the odd ones that should be reviewed.

[Avicenna]

It might help if the police in the U. K. weren’t so scared of being harassed by politicians for investigating crimes and deemed “racist”.

[Anonymous]

Bleeding heart liberals.

[Anonymous]

We don’t