Prisons: Rehabilitation or punishment?

[Locke]

after rerading chewies post called "freedom" i had a question:
what is your view on prisons?
are they places of reform and rehabilitation, or are they places of punishment?
and is it possible to punish someone and empower them to be a better person at the same time?

 

[Redneck]

I believe that their primary purpose should be security, protecting the general population from those who have proven themselves to pose a threat to the safety or well-being of the persons or property of their fellow members of society. As far as rehabilitation goes, in my opinion that falls under the category of personal responsibility, and if someone who is in that situation is not willing to make that extra effort to rehabilitate themselves, trying to force it on them is a waste of time and money, because they obviously do not care enough about re-entering society as a useful and productive member to justify any great amount of effort on the part of the state or the prison system. That being said, I do believe that educational and vocational opportunities should be afforded to those inmates who do wish to make that extra effort.

 

[implicature]

I agree with Redneck. My uncle spent two years for involuntary manslaughter (i think) I'm not going into details about his story but i can tell you that there were men in there that kept doing things to get there parole denied so that they could just keep living there for free with a bed and food. we should have some sort of three strike policy so that the members of society have a surefire way to get rid of the trash in society and at the same times taxpayers shouldn't have to pay room and board for some of the losers! I'm not saying we should deport them but at least make them do something other than sit around and watch tv and lift weights. i know no all prisons are like this but on that same level NONE of them should be like this. Manual labor should be a must and for those men sitting on death row... well a jury convicted them to death and if that was their judgement why are they just sitting there taking up space? I am a trusting soul and i will go out of my way to help someone no matter that creed color or religion but for the love of GOD you just can't help someone that WON'T help himself [or herself for that matter]!

 

[Anya1982]

I think Prisions are good........I mean they keep the bad away from good or try to. But I have a friend that is a prision warden and she says that the guys who have been in for a long time know nothing else than that life and try to do almost anything to stay in prision. But I don't agree ont he death penalty cus thats the government being as bad as the murderer I say.

If a kiddy fiddler gets done I say lock him in a room with a bunch of mothers til his screams stop!!!!