Sonny Clark
Diamond Member
- Banned
- #1
Prisons, jails, and detention centers are all necessary. But, are the associated costs justified? And, are we fitting the time behind bars to the severity of the offense? Also, are we actually rehabilitating inmates, and putting them back into society with the necessary tools to be productive? Our incarcerated population is the largest among developed countries, and growing. Why? What are the factors behind our criminal statistics?
http://www.vera.org/sites/default/f...s/price-of-prisons-updated-version-021914.pdf
Forty-one States Took Action to Mitigate Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Conviction from 2009-2014 Vera Institute of Justice
One of the major negatives of our judicial system is placing innocent citizens behind bars, in some cases, for many years.
The Innocence Project - About Us
Another major issue and concern, is the number of convictions based on circumstantial cases. These cases are basically nothing more than "could've been", "might have been". "yes, it's possible", "my gut feeling tells me he/she is guilty", and other human emotional factors not based on hard, rock solid, undeniable, undisputable evidence. These cases are often a contest between the defense and the prosecutor, to see which one has the most talented silver tongue, and can smooth talk a jury to lean their way. These are the most troubling cases to accept, and often result in convicting an innocent person.
What is troubling to many taxpayers, are the prison amenities which make punishment seem almost like living in a resort. Should we provide inmates with better meals than we provide for our children in our public schools?
Prison amenities
Career criminals and repeat offenders should be dealt with as severely as our laws will allow. But, minor offenses, and first time offenders of non-violent crimes, should be considerations for less severe punishment and incarcerated for the absolute minimum considered to be reform or rehabilitation. We have a system gone awry, and it's costing the taxpayers dollars that could be put to use for more important and much needed causes.
Your thoughts?
http://www.vera.org/sites/default/f...s/price-of-prisons-updated-version-021914.pdf
Forty-one States Took Action to Mitigate Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Conviction from 2009-2014 Vera Institute of Justice
One of the major negatives of our judicial system is placing innocent citizens behind bars, in some cases, for many years.
The Innocence Project - About Us
Another major issue and concern, is the number of convictions based on circumstantial cases. These cases are basically nothing more than "could've been", "might have been". "yes, it's possible", "my gut feeling tells me he/she is guilty", and other human emotional factors not based on hard, rock solid, undeniable, undisputable evidence. These cases are often a contest between the defense and the prosecutor, to see which one has the most talented silver tongue, and can smooth talk a jury to lean their way. These are the most troubling cases to accept, and often result in convicting an innocent person.
What is troubling to many taxpayers, are the prison amenities which make punishment seem almost like living in a resort. Should we provide inmates with better meals than we provide for our children in our public schools?
Prison amenities
Career criminals and repeat offenders should be dealt with as severely as our laws will allow. But, minor offenses, and first time offenders of non-violent crimes, should be considerations for less severe punishment and incarcerated for the absolute minimum considered to be reform or rehabilitation. We have a system gone awry, and it's costing the taxpayers dollars that could be put to use for more important and much needed causes.
Your thoughts?