Justice and Mental Illness

Discussion in 'Ethics, Morality, & Justice' started by Starman, Nov 16, 2008.

  1. Starman Starman Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    540
    Every year we convict many individuals and brand them with felonies, when in fact they were never intended to harm the community.

    Should Alcoholics, Drug Addicts, be treated the same as we do violent criminals?

    Lock them up with no rehabilitation offered. Other than the obvious of loss of freedom if they do not comply.

    Now I am only talking about people of addiction with no intent of harming others.

    OR should we divide our prisons create new classifications and rehabilitation in order to better address the issues of the addicted as if it were a mental illness as it is.
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. StrangerInAStrangeLand SubQuantum Mechanic Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    15,396
    Drug possession or use shouldn't be illegal any more than alcohol.
    If someone commits a crime out of desperation to get drugs or alcohol or money for them, they should be treated the same as anyone committing a crime out of desperation for money or other material things or desperation for sex or desperation for a feeling of superiority.
    If a drunk driver injures or kills someone or even risks it, I don't care what their intention was. Same with a stoned driver or even a too tired driver. If a drunk shoots off a gun, I don't care what his intention was.
    More should be done to help people overcome harmful addictions. More should be done to rehabilitate prisoners.
    1111
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. Crunchy Cat F-in' *meow* baby!!! Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,423
    Rehab is pretty costly and as I recall has a 20% success rate. Of those whom are rehabilited, most (if not all) of them actually wanted to be rehabilitated. So there is a correlation of desire and success.

    It probably makes sense then to offer rehabilitation only to those whom want it. You can weed out the fakers by restricting the rehab volunteers freedom for much longer (only people serious about rehabilitiation would invest the time).
     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. Mr. Hamtastic whackawhackado! Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    4,492
    Liberal use of the death penalty could solve thes problems quickly and thoroughly.
     
  8. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,053
    How would you know what they intended or not? And is the court supposed to make that judgement?

    They aren't now, and as far as I know, they've never been treated the same as violent criminals. So the answer is 'no'.

    "Harm" can come in many various forms. The society determines, in courts, what is and what isn't considered "harm". If a drug addict scares a young woman on the street, did he "harm" her? Hmm, I think most anyone would say 'yes'.

    Rehad is mostly a liberal's idealistic fairy tale.

    Baron Max
     
  9. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,053
    Are you sure that we shouldn't keep all those misfits, give them shelter and money, so they can continue to pester honest, law-abiding citizens?

    I mean, don't they provide an important function is society ...such as giving news reporters and editors things to write about? And it give the cops something to do during their slow, crime-free duty time?

    And, hell, if we stop picking up law-breakers, then we'd have to let the jailers go, and it would cause a climb in the unemployment numbers!

    Geez, those social misfit provide a useful function in society!

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!



    Baron Max
     
  10. StrangerInAStrangeLand SubQuantum Mechanic Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    15,396
    Yeah, let's solve our problems by killing, imprisoning or torturing people. It's so much simpler for simple minds to handle.
    1111
     
  11. swarm Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    4,207
    Kill yourself and then get back to us on that.
     
  12. vslayer Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    4,969
    with the exception of crimes of passion - for which recidivism is almost non-existent - the only way for a prison to be effective is to either lock people away for life, or rehabilitate them. everyone is a victim of their circumstances; if you release someone with no education, no training and no connections outside of their other criminal mates, then they will just fall back into the same situation when released from prison, because they have nothing else to do.

    if however you were to give them job training, drug rehabilitation, and work release on which they could interact and form relationships with good 'law abiding' people, then upon their release they would be able to get a job and go hang out with some guys who arent going to rope them into their next robbery with them.
     
  13. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,053
    Prisons are obviously intended for punishment, not for "effectiveness".

    But most aren't so victimized that they commit crimes that put them in prison!! They made their choice, now they have to suffer the consequences.

    Again, prisons are intended as punishment.

    Baron Max
     
  14. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    22,910
    My take is a little different, in that prison in my view should not be about retrobution but rather about protection of society. Some folks are just a threat to society and locked up and or executed. For example, murders and repeated violent criminals should be locked up for life if not executed.

    As long as an individual is a threat to society they should be locked up, bottom line. Now that is not to say that attempts should not be made to rehabilitate folks. There is hope for those afflicted with addiction...not so for repeated violent offenders.
     
  15. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    33,264
    How does one know the intent of a crack addict? Can you tell if they are going to only ask for your money or actually beat the shit out of you for it? Any substance abuse person could easily become violent and they need to keep themselves supplied with the substances somehow and that means they need money. How else do they get that money many, many times, other than stealing from others or doing some other criminal activity that would be a felony offense and cause financial harm to others as well.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2008
  16. Simon Anders Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,535
    And this would be true for users of alcohol, those addicted to gambling even, and certainly relates to the consequences of politicians addicted to power and people in high finance addicted to fucking it up for the rest of us.
     
  17. Starman Starman Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    540
    This may come as a shock to you, most addicts have jobs or some kind of income.

    They probably work with you or are a part of your family.

    This is not a small problem isolated to the homeless.

    Most are Alcoholics.
     
  18. Mr. Hamtastic whackawhackado! Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    4,492
    swarm-you are as interesting in your responses as Q. You two hang out?

    Killing off of the unacceptables would simplify things greatly. The only problem is deciding who decides who is the unacceptable.
     
  19. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,053
    *raises hand and waves vigorously*

    Me! Me, me, me!! Pick me! Pick me!

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!



    Baron Max
     
  20. StrangerInAStrangeLand SubQuantum Mechanic Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    15,396
    OK! You're the 1st unacceptable!
    Congratulations!
    1111
     

Share This Page