XPost: phl.media, pa.politics   
   From: artclemons@aolSPAM.com   
      
   mcs wrote:   
      
   > You said, It's ludicrous to think that time spent in prison under   
   > horrible conditions will lessen the crime rate, or indeed do anything   
   > for the society.   
   > I totally disagree with you.. First off I am talking the consequences   
   > of a murder or a life sentence which in our society should be life .   
   > They want to go to school fine. They want to show they can become PHd   
   > candidates, fine maybe we can make some exceptions , but the majority   
   > of people who kill should not get any perks. You think its horrible   
   > conditions, but thats the point in having a deterrent   
      
   This is one of those topics that drives me crazy.  First, since you   
   pointed to other developed nations previously, why don't you research   
   the length of time that people get for comparable crimes in said   
   countries.  Funny thing but as I recall, the US comes out with the   
   longest prison sentences.  Prison as a deterrent doesn't work, the real   
   trick is getting offenders not to offend, and that involves   
   rehabiliation rather than punishment.  All of the evidence indicates   
   that prevention works a whole lot better than capture, conviction and   
   spending time in prison.   
      
   2nd, until relatively recently, most folks convicted of homicide were   
   the prisoners least likely to re-offend upon release all other factors   
   being constant.   
      
   3rd, most people who commit a homicide will be released eventually   
   whether or not you like it, since the set prison terms (the longest in   
   the world) eventually end.  You have to keep in mind that lots of   
   homicides involve long term relationships gone bad tragically.  If the   
   felon convicted of murder is a danger to society, there is still no   
   reason to make life for that individual worse intentionally.  Also   
   prisons have become a lot more dangerous recently, in part because   
   prisoners were better behaved to keep access to things like TV, weight   
   rooms, libraries, and even education.  With no carrot to offer, the   
   stick doesn't drive mules or prisoners very well.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)