-The issue with prisons is just a smaller part of the big problem in this country. Why do people end up in prison? Multiple answers to that one, biggest one is lack of education and opportunity. And why are those a problem in this country? Multiple answers to that as well. City schools are often a breeding ground for the criminal element. Why? Again, multiple answers. See where I'm going with this? Everything in this country is connected, from how we treat other people to our environmental problems to our prison situation, you can always find a connection.
-Now that might make the problem seem too great to handle. I don't believe it is. Before people end up behind bars, we need to address the issues that put them on that path. Poverty, education, opportunity.
Things won't be peferct but I believe a lot can be made better if we could focus. Now should a person have access to the aforementioned and still proceed to a life of crime, and therefore prison, the place should be somewhere to fear. Yes, fear. A place you really don't want to end up in, cause who knows what might happen inside those walls. Sounds mean, doesn't it?
-If a person is willing to break the law then punishment should be swift and appropriate. No bleeding hearts! If you kill another person, rape, assualt, whatever, then perhaps you have no place in this world. There are people out there who want justice to be served but then make it so that that justice means very little. My problem exactly with the 8th amendment, protection against cruel and unusual punishment, and excessive fines and bail. Poor people cannot pay those last two and depending on the crime, should repay society some other way. Once upon a time, the death penalty was normal, not cruel and unusual.
-I have more to add but my thoughts are flying to fast. Let me leave you with this: I had a sociology professor who also taught college classes to inmates. He stated that the prison had the lowest recidivism rate when the immates had access to education. When they ended the classes, due to public protest, the prison experienced higher recidivism rates. I don't think they should get free college when I had to pay for mine but this shows how important the education is, so effort should be made to educate before prison.
-Just my two cents, good topic, one worth reviewing regularly.
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