From: Chuck Kuecker (ckuecker@mcs.net)
Date: Wed Jun 16 1999 - 09:53:55 MDT
At 10:26 PM 6/15/99 -0500, Sasha Chislenko wrote:
>>I don't know what the solution is, but we are moving in the wrong direction
>>at present.
>
>Apparently.
>
>Are they thinking these people would be better members of the society
>after coming through this "hell"?
>
They unabashedly state they are out to 'punish', no other purpose.
>
>Still, I am sure one could do something to alleviate problems.
>
>Allowing married couples to stay in one cell, allowing people
>books, TVs, and maybe small PCs (should help with intellectual
>skills and later socializing, and can be donated), and probably
>choose cell mates among their friends, could prevent thousands
>of rapes at much smaller costs than it would require outside of
>jail. And of course, not persecuting people for victimless crimes.
>
Any reforms like this must be carefully managed by the prison officials,
lest they become avenues for computer and phone crime, etc. Presently here,
prisoners have cell phones or actual phone lines into their cells, and some
gang leaders operate from prison with less risk than they did on the streets.
Our officials have cut back on 'priveleges' in our jails. Weight training
was banned when it was seen as merely a way for the bullies to keep
stronger than the sheep. Books and the like are being 'soft' on inmates.
College courses have been discontinued in some states.
Putting one's wife in prison - assuming she's an accomplice, I guess, would
be a real departure from our present system. I have heard of women's
prisons allowing mothers to keep their children during their sentence. I
wonder if anyone has statistics on children raised in jail? Would spouses
be allowed to follow their mate into the slammer?
If we ever manage to convince our solons that victimless crimes are just
that, and to repeal the laws prohibiting them, the end of the world will be
nigh..
>It almost looks like the justice system creates more crimes than it
>prevents - or at least than it punishes.
>
They don't care - they are only concerned with the image of being PC 'tough
on criminals'...
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