The US prison system is basically warehouses stuffed with what we know to be law breakers, criminals. A mixture of bad and worse intertwining with little supervision. Little funding available for programs to help in the rehabilitation of the criminals housed. The thought of what this might do to an already troubled individual is astounding.
It’s agreed that there has to be punishment for laws broken. Is it agreed that there should be a scale of punishment? Putting a thief in a cell with a murderer at best turns the thief into a more hardened criminal. if he survives. Other programs should be utilized such as house arrest and probation if a thorough investigation prompts it.
Our prison system has the mentality of getting the offenders out of society. If the criminal isn’t there to commit more crimes, we have accomplished our goal. Remove the bad so the good can live without the fear. Unfortunately these offenders are not kept from society forever therefore this system is failing in the end.
Our mentally ill offenders I am not suggesting be unpunished. I will however suggest part of the problem is there are complex situations including these individuals that need to be addressed. Yes, it costs money. So does the next 40 prisons that are being designed as I write.
The US prison system was initially a working entity, at least in comparison to now. Times have changed greatly and so has the need for adjustments. We can no longer expect the system as it is designed now to be the best it can be.
So much talk about where the money will come from, not enough supervision, lack of programs to rehabilitate and still we talk about building more warehouses to store those who break the law.
The system can be called a failure and it needs attention desperately. Lives depend on it. Not only the offenders but the community once the offenders are released.
Lets take a breath, one is probably all the time we have, and re-evaluate the pros and cons. Continue the system housing murders with thieves and the mentally ill with the con man and we will continue to have re offenders and continue to need more warehouse space to keep them.
Just because the system has failed does not mean it cannot be rejuvenated. This country cannot withstand this kind of failure much longer. It will eventually take control and when the majority of the population consists of prisoners released after no rehabilitation whatsoever, we will all live in fear.
