Our legal systems serve several purposes. They protect us from criminals by locking them up, but most of the time this is temporarily. Also, we want to take revenge on those who have wronged society. We also want to let the criminal know he has done something wrong so that he can reform and lead a life on the right path.
Now of these functions, which is most important? Since most criminals will be released again, the MOST IMPORTANT function of jail would be to make people UNDERSTAND what they've done wrong so that they can change. Also, we need to give them a REAL CHANCE of making it on the outside, and we also have to make them feel good enough about themselves that they can actually be positive enough to see that chance and to see that a new life is possible.
This might sound like I wanna cuddle em to death instead of punish them. Which is not true. If you invest time in letting them understand that they've done something wrong (by educating them, confronting them with victims, etc, there are multiple PROVEN methods readily available), then, once they understand you can make them work their asses off or something similar. Something that lets them know that theyre paying their dues. But for fucks sake, what the hell use is it to have them asspounded for a few years with any rehab whatsoever?
Also, it is proven that of the people that are educated in prison, MOST never return! That means that most of these people, that have obviously had a bad background that allowed them commit the worst of crimes, are still able to reform and to turn into productive members of society. It's no use to keep cracking down harder if that has no RESULTS.
I can't believe how some people are very intelligent business people, focussed on getting their business ahead and being productive and focuseed on results, but when it comes to other aspects in life they just tag along with the majority and call for harder punishments. Unless you have the results and statistics to back it up, that's probably a bad idea
