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Post by freckles on Apr 10, 2008 14:19:29 GMT -5
I think it is going up. 1 out of 100 in Prison en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisons_in_the_United_StatesThey need to try something else Probation ? Sending them to anouther Country, like England used to Ship them to Austraila and dump them out. House Arrest ? GPS Shock / Explosive Collers around thier necks if they do bad ? Erase thier Minds and download someone elses Mind in thier Brain ?
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Post by Phyxius on Apr 10, 2008 15:11:25 GMT -5
How about just writing laws that use a little bit of common sense? Nah - that would be asking for too much...
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Post by freckles on Apr 10, 2008 16:54:31 GMT -5
I thought of Something Heavy Fines + Community Service instead of Jail/Prison
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Post by sheyd on Apr 10, 2008 17:07:11 GMT -5
Matching the crime with the treatment- being flexible in options. If someone steals a loaf of bread for their starving family - fines or jail time won't help, it will make it worse. How about having them work in a soup kitchen, giving them and their family free food and letting them work off the cost in community service? That is an overly simplistic example, but I think it gets the point across. Our system doesn't take into account what is going on for the person/family, and usually makes people worse rather than better. Hence repeat jail times/repeat and increasingly worse offenses.
Shey
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Post by freckles on Apr 10, 2008 20:01:11 GMT -5
A big percentage is people who are addicted to drugs/alcohol/etc
Maybe more Treatment Programs
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enigma
New Member
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills
Posts: 16
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Post by enigma on Apr 10, 2008 21:24:32 GMT -5
sheyd, when is the last time you heard of someone going to jail for stealing a loaf of bread? I want to live in your town.
Most of the people incarcerated today are there because (a) they committed a violent crime (b) they committed crime more than once after getting a slap on the wrist, or (c) they violated parole.
And there are umpteen kadrillion treatment programs out there...outreach, community service, rehab, etc, etc. It's obviously not working so well.
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Post by sheyd on Apr 10, 2008 22:33:32 GMT -5
As I said, enigma, it was an overly simplistic example ;D Yes, many ARE for chemical addictions, but the question then has to go to why are there so many? If the treatment programs aren't working, then why? And there are a lot of people in jail for short periods of time, for stupid things - parking tickets, drunk and disorderly, not paying speeding tickets, petty theft... those things should have better punishments than jail time. Shey
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Post by JimB on Apr 11, 2008 8:32:06 GMT -5
Most of the people incarcerated today are there because (a) they committed a violent crime (b) they committed crime more than once after getting a slap on the wrist, or (c) they violated parole. Care to back that up? Are you taking into account the mandatory minimum sentences for first-time drug offenders instituted during the height of the War on Drugs? That accounts for an awful lot of non-violent first offenders in the prison population....
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Post by freckles on Apr 11, 2008 8:58:59 GMT -5
Maybe they should toss them Naked into a Snake Pit (After the snakes were milked except 1 or 2) If they live through that They would act better Because Next time, the Snakes would not be milked That would cut out the need for Treatment Programs/Probation and Prisons + Give everyone something to Watch on TV
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Post by bobfromacctg on Apr 11, 2008 9:57:37 GMT -5
How about just writing laws that use a little bit of common sense? Nah - that would be asking for too much... Lord knows we need more laws! My solution (and you all will freak but thats ok) is every 7 years clean out the jails and start over. If your crime puts you in jail longer than 7 years - it sucks to be you. Guaranted that in one cycle of that, the crime rate would drop. If they knew their crimes would result in their death, they would stop. Thats the reason the crime rate in Iran is so low . Steal some bread in that country and get your hand cut off. No ACLU to help you sue the store owner for a million $'s because its his fault that the bread was so accessible to you. Let the flaming begin... Works for me.
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Post by redskyatnight on Apr 11, 2008 13:11:12 GMT -5
My city just did an article on the jail population here. Many of them have mental health issues and that system isn't going to help them, so they end up in jail with a $100 bond that no one will pay. They get 3 meals a day and a place to sleep. Its a bad life, but better than the one many of them face on the street.
We also have Project Exile - 5 years mandantory for an illegal gun. I don't know the number of people incarcerated because of it, but I'm sure it ups the numbers.
The solutions isn't easy. There are a thousand reasons people are habitual offenders.
I think some solutions can start in schools. Kids who disrupt classrooms should be placed in a more restrictive school with low teacher to student ratios. They should be taught the basics, reading and math, but also conflict resolution, stress management, nutrition, anger management. They should be required to work community service and mentor other kids. Trade skills should also be a big part of the curriculum. They should feel like they have a purpose in the community and take pride in the service they've done.
It won't stop people from committing crimes, but I think it would help.
And yes, bobfromacctg, I think people need to take a little more responsibility for their own actions too.
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Post by Mel (cherry) on Apr 11, 2008 13:50:14 GMT -5
How about just writing laws that use a little bit of common sense? Nah - that would be asking for too much... Lord knows we need more laws! My solution (and you all will freak but thats ok) is every 7 years clean out the jails and start over. If your crime puts you in jail longer than 7 years - it sucks to be you. Guaranted that in one cycle of that, the crime rate would drop. If they knew their crimes would result in their death, they would stop. Thats the reason the crime rate in Iran is so low . Steal some bread in that country and get your hand cut off. No ACLU to help you sue the store owner for a million $'s because its his fault that the bread was so accessible to you. Let the flaming begin... Works for me. My city just did an article on the jail population here. Many of them have mental health issues and that system isn't going to help them, so they end up in jail with a $100 bond that no one will pay. They get 3 meals a day and a place to sleep. Its a bad life, but better than the one many of them face on the street. We also have Project Exile - 5 years mandantory for an illegal gun. I don't know the number of people incarcerated because of it, but I'm sure it ups the numbers. The solutions isn't easy. There are a thousand reasons people are habitual offenders. I think some solutions can start in schools. Kids who disrupt classrooms should be placed in a more restrictive school with low teacher to student ratios. They should be taught the basics, reading and math, but also conflict resolution, stress management, nutrition, anger management. They should be required to work community service and mentor other kids. Trade skills should also be a big part of the curriculum. They should feel like they have a purpose in the community and take pride in the service they've done. It won't stop people from committing crimes, but I think it would help. And yes, bobfromacctg, I think people need to take a little more responsibility for their own actions too. Two very good posts!!
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Post by freckles on Apr 11, 2008 14:03:10 GMT -5
I think it is because they no longer allow parents to Discipline thier kids
They call that Child Abuse
Then the Kids attack thier Parents and Everyone else when they are Big enough
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