American Prison Reform Needs To Be A Self-Sustaining Solution

Discussion in 'Ethics, Morality, & Justice' started by steampunk, Apr 26, 2012.

  1. steampunk Registered Senior Member

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    278
    Currently, the American debt is at 16T and the world is on a head on collision with a fossil fuel energy crisis. Our entire infrastructure is dependent upon oil: the easily available energy. At this time, there is no placement for oil and no reason to believe a replacement will occur. Many highly entropic American systems need to be reformed in order to take on the new energy challenges we face. The American prison system needs to be self-sustaining to be inline with our up and coming energy crisis.

    America uses punishment based solutions when it comes to handling crime. This unnecessary sky-rockets taxes, makes prisoners lives miserable, and increases the recidivism rate. The present system is more of a problem than a solution. I propose a productivity based solution, which would make prison self-supporting, offer a real rehabilitation program and lower the recidivism rate.

    A prisoners psychology should be conditioned much like our own, so when they return to society, they are conditioned to do the things we all do. In order to condition them this way, we must create similar circumstances on their side of the wall.

    Here are the changes I propose:

    They must have a homelike dwelling, not a cage. They must have their own room to sleep.

    Each prisoner is required to have a job and will be paid based upon their expertise at a rate no different than that of the average American. They will pay for the supervision provided by guards, court costs, and any restitution. They may not leave until all bills are paid that are related to their crime. There may be an exception when the bill exceeds the average human's ability to pay.

    Garnishments of pay may not leave the prisoner without incentives. In other words, the prisoner must have something extra after their bills so they can buy a few non-necessity things such as beer, magazines, cable, Internet, bag of weed, etc.

    Prisoners should be segregated based upon crime and pesonal prisoner preference to lower levels of conflict.

    With these changes, it would cost the tax payer zero, and their return to society would be a much more normal transition. This would result in a lowered national debt and provide a sustainable solution to criminal rehabilitation.
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2012
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  3. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    The main idea of prison is to punish a person not to make them feel like they are at home. If you make a prison like a home away from home then you'll only have more and more prisoners for they know where to stay if they become homeless or impoverished.

    That said by allowing for some form of work to be done inside prison that won't affect the economy of those on the outside that need to work and earn their own living.
     
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  5. steampunk Registered Senior Member

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    The psychological facts are that redirection and leadership are what is needed, not abuse. The old saying: two wrongs don't make a right, is self-evident here.

    Lack of jobs on either side of the wall is directly proportionate to lack of leadership skills necessary to recognize the work that obviously needs to be done in America. There is no lack of work opportunity, just leadership skills to create those jobs.
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2012
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