Quote:
Originally Posted by jem
OK look not glorified but rather proposed an answer to the issue that there are only ‘x' number of places in prisons with ‘y’ number of people being given custodial sentences.
Something has to give.
Prisons have two functions, punishment (I’m sure it’s not pleasant being locked up), and security, removing a dangerous person from society, so he or she can’t harm anyone else. The latter is a given, but the former, are their alternatives to prison as a punishment?
Now I’m certainly not saying that someone convicted of murdering a family gets a sentence of ‘painting a few walls’; but is there has to be somewhere in between prison and a fine. And I don't know what that might be.
Or, follow the US model and build and staff a lot more prisons.
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No one sane would follow the US model on prisons anymore than they would on healthcare, where the system is designed to disincentivies rehabilitation and reform over profit, where the prisons actually make people worse after they have entered just to ensure they keep coming back.
Personally I wouldn't let anyone out of prison here who couldn't read or write, what chance does anyone have of achieving anything without these basic skills (unless they have learning disabilities or such like) and I think it might be best to increase sentences no more of this 3 or 6 months business, I'm sure that studies proved if you want to tackle recidivism the sentence has to be 2 years +, no more of this revolving door nonsense.