- Joined
- Jun 10, 2007
- Messages
- 8,921
- Reaction score
- 6,243
You might be. Idunno. I've only seen a few things you said on the karate forum same as could be said about me.
You sound to have some understanding of the prison system from firsthand/probably frontline experience. You also seem to have a very punitive view that makes me doubt you'd have much interest in entertaining multiple perspectives on the topic. Maybe being in close contact with that population can create biases. (I imagine it would and can't say it hasn't happened for myself in different settings.)
That's just a hunch without knowing you.
I don't love crime or think nobody should go to prison, or that it should be a resort, but I think it's often overkill and counter productive for many.
That doesn't mean that I think everyone should be treated the same regardless of their behaviors.
I don't have a problem saying some people are lost causes. But more effort should be placed in providing a chance for those who want to change and will end up back on the streets whether for better or worse.
My state has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the country. Only 20% of our offender population are in prison the rest are in community corrections (most states are opposite this). My state does give offenders the opportunity to change; treatment, GOOD jobs, and safe spaces are easy to come by if you work your way towards them. The work of people like Latessa have become the model for corrections nationwide largely because of the work of my state leading the charge long before people like him or I were even born. So no, I don’t have a punitive view of what I do. We are the department of Corrections, not punishment.
I also work with people who’d kill you for no reason. Which touches on the caveat of your original argument. The most violent men I know are in prison for trivial crimes. You can’t see into someone’s soul at intake.
Last edited: