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[Reup]

Originally posted by #BlakhOle#@Mar 22 2006, 06:34 AM
They can still have a good time in the jail. Its not much but it's something, and that's not something they deserve. :angry:

First of all, playing a couple of computer games each day will probably not make being in prison very much like a good time.

Secondly, the purpose of imprisonment is to deny people their freedom to move around in the world. Unless you're in some backward, radical, human-rights-neglecting country, you shouldn't be maltreated in prison. In a civilised society, even prisoners have rights. It's a system of values I sincerely believe in. If someone commits a crime, a judge sentences that person to a certain punishment after which the score is settled. If you want the person to be a member of society again, you should let them have some connection to the 'real world' to allow for any rehabition.

Playing a computer game could help, especially if it's Mario Bros (GTA: San Andreas would be over the top and they'd probably find it unrealistic ). I'd prefer books as a diversion, or decent education, but it's the prisoners right to NOT choose that path and play a game or two.

[Quintopotere]

Originally posted by Kon-Tiki@Mar 22 2006, 12:18 AM
At least it'll show them that working hard and behaving pays off. I don't mind it. In my eyes, it's a step to rehabillitation.

Uhmmm... they have to work 25 months to get the possibility to play with NES games... That could teach them that working hard gives you very little things: being criminal reward so much more on the short period... :evil:

The problem isn't if we should let them having video games or not, the problem is that actually in prisons there isn't a real process of rehabilitation!

[Sebatianos]

Originally posted by The Good Soldier Švejk@Mar 22 2006, 04:38 AM
Well, i think this should be differert if you done a heavy crime, like killing someone.

But if ya just stolen some car radios, it's ok i think. k:

I'd say it should be just the other way around. Those serving really long sentences (15 years - life) should be allowed (as a reward), but if you're only there for a year and getting your computer games after half a year - that doean't seem right! A car-radio thief could acctually start enjoying prison.

@Anubis - I think you're allowed to get married while in jail (but it really depends).

At the rest - it really depends on the jails in different countries. Now that the subject is brought up, can you describe how a typical jail in your country looks like? In Slovenia it's like a room in a dorm or a hostel, just with steel net on the windows. Here's a picture:

[Rogue]

They should make more of those middle-age jails, similar to Bastille.

@Chuck the plant - it is different for political and criminal inmates. But speaking of criminal inmates big chunk of them are wild animals, and as far as I'm concerned most of them should never integrate back into society...


As you can see I don't believe much in rehabilitation of any sort...

[Icewolf]

In Germany jail is not much of torture. I've never been there but they get much stuff to spend their free time with.

@Anubis: You're right in a way. I don't think most criminals feel sorry for what they did.

@all: Keep in mind that the biggest punishment about jail nowadays ist the time afterwards! Getting a job, earning money in any way.

I never want to go to prison but I still think they're sissy since the people that are there deserve it. Judical errors not considered.

Originally posted by Sebastianos
Those serving really long sentences (15 years - life) should be allowed

I agree with Seb in this point.

[Eagle of Fire]

I'm still trying to get over the idea of plugging a console and play on the internet. Why on Earth if I ever wanted to do that I would not take a PC to do it instead is so beyond me that I just can't even begin thinking about inmates and prisons to begin with.

[Chuck the plant]

@ Anubis: Your claim that "most criminals are wild animals" is based on exact which of your - numerous, I'm sure - first-hand-experiences...?

And why a difference for political inmates? I don't really think that someone advocating racial hate - as an example - should get a better treatment than someone who stole somebody else's purse... do you? :eeeeeh:

[Sebatianos]

I think political inmates refered to people the government to to prison to shut them up (you know, the old Nazi methods of putting political oponents into concentration camps, or STAZI later on in DDR - you know...).

[troop18546]

Originally posted by Kon-Tiki@Mar 22 2006, 02:18 AM
It's a step to rehabillitation.

Actually, yes. Hard work does pay off, but I certainly wouldn't allow it to inmates who REALLY deserve to rot.

[Kon-Tiki]

Nowadays, they whole point of prisons's to allow prisoners to function properly in society again, while taking responsibility for the crime they committed. Depending on the crime, what needs to be done to get them to function properly's different. There's a big difference between somebody who's lived good all his life, then through circumstances steals a car radio and gets jailed, and somebody who's murdered his entire family (although they usually end up killing themselves as well)

The entire point is to punish them for their crime and to work on it so that they won't do it again. Allowing them to work to gain something that'll allow a bit of fun now and then's a good thing. Throwing them into four stone walls with a tiny grate as window and a pile of hay to sleep on'll do the exact opposite. It'll disgruntle the prisoners and'll make them turn against the prison itself and society as a whole, making the criminals worse instead of better.