Should prison be for punishment or rehabilitation?

[KreatingMe]

What do you think and why? Should prisons try to rehabilitate inmates? Do you think they can be rehabilitated? Should they be places of punishment, were people in essence pay a debt for their crimes and rehabilitating them isn't the states responsibility or priority?

[LauraKW]

Prisons are both punitive and places to rehabilitate. One aspect doesn't necessarily exclude the other.

[Paperfishies]

Depends on the crime.

IMO sex offenders should be imprisoned for life, no use in rehabilitating them when they can't be rehabbed.
Murderers, nope they should be in prison for life.
Anyone who abuses a child-nope, life in prison.

[lga1965]

 BOTH. They shouldn't be in a country club setting ( no TV or movies, etc.)but they should be able to get counseling, education, psychological help, etc. whatever could possibly make the criminal see that he has been wrong and help him find a better way to live. That is good for the person in jail and for the rest of us who don't want to be victims of the criminal again.

[MeAndTommyLee]

That's a tough one based on the shear disparity of crimes.  Persons that have been convicted of violent crimes directly resulting in the death(s) of another are many times, `lifers'  Rehabilitating them seems a wasted effort since they will never leave.  Others that are receiving short sentences should definitely be rehabilitated to increase their chances of  succeeding on the outside.  Wasting away in prison only to come out none the wiser is not helping them or society.

[lga1965]

 

Quoting Paperfishies:

Depends on the crime.

IMO sex offenders should be imprisoned for life, no use in rehabilitating them when they can't be rehabbed.
Murderers, nope they should be in prison for life.
Anyone who abuses a child-nope, life in prison.

 Of course, these people really can't be rehabilitated. I think we need to concentrate on the types of criminals who commit crimes that don't hurt people physically or emotionally such as burglaries, embezzling, etc.

[Mipsy]

Puishment!

[Mipsy]

A burgluray doesn't hurt someone emotionally?! Have you ever had your home broken Into and trashed?!

Quoting lga1965:

 

Quoting Paperfishies:

Depends on the crime.

IMO sex offenders should be imprisoned for life, no use in rehabilitating them when they can't be rehabbed.
Murderers, nope they should be in prison for life.
Anyone who abuses a child-nope, life in prison.

 Of course, these people really can't be rehabilitated. I think we need to concentrate on the types of criminals who commit crimes that don't hurt people physically or emotionally such as burglaries, embezzling, etc.

[Raintree]

Here's a radical thought: Why can't it be both?

Also, I don't think the 'punishment' aspect of prison is expressing itself properly at the moment, anyway.

[HippiePotPie279]

Jail fucking sucks....I can't understand why some people continue to go back. Those are the ones they should just drown so we don't have to feed them.....

[Mipsy]

Because it costs too much money! Why not take that money being spent on "rehabilitation" and put it in our schools and educate from the beginning instead of trying to work backwards?

Quoting Raintree:

Here's a radical thought: Why can't it be both?

Also, I don't think the 'punishment' aspect of prison is expressing itself properly at the moment, anyway.