SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - Why do people stay on death row for years and years?

Platapus · 03-15-13, 01:47 PM

One of the problems with our prison system is that it tasked with doing two very different things.

1. Provide punishment. This is an important part of society. If you choose to do something abhorrent to society (commit a crime), then society will provide an "unpleasantness" as a way of demonstrating the authority of society over the individual.

2. Rehabilitation. It is a benefit for society that abhorrent members become law abiding members. While punishment may communicate the consequences of abhorrent behavior, rehabilitation should communicate the advantages of conforming to the rules of society.

The objective is for the individual to feel that it is better to conform to societal rules than to engage in abhorrent behavior.

Is it reasonable to expect one institution (jail/prison) to provide both?

Is it possible for one institution to provide both simultaneously?

I am starting to doubt whether one institution can do both.

03-15-13, 01:47 PM	#5
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,396 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	One of the problems with our prison system is that it tasked with doing two very different things. 1. Provide punishment. This is an important part of society. If you choose to do something abhorrent to society (commit a crime), then society will provide an "unpleasantness" as a way of demonstrating the authority of society over the individual. 2. Rehabilitation. It is a benefit for society that abhorrent members become law abiding members. While punishment may communicate the consequences of abhorrent behavior, rehabilitation should communicate the advantages of conforming to the rules of society. The objective is for the individual to feel that it is better to conform to societal rules than to engage in abhorrent behavior. Is it reasonable to expect one institution (jail/prison) to provide both? Is it possible for one institution to provide both simultaneously? I am starting to doubt whether one institution can do both. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.