Are Prisons Necessary?

Prisons have become a place to dump the problems of our wider societies

Written by: GOP | posted: 12 Dec 2008

Many have been placed in jails for countless violations against the wider society. A few broad categories include murder, theft, lack of payment of child maintenance, rape, traffic violations, causing physical harm, use of illegal drugs, and the list goes on and on.

Many Governments around the world have invested heavily in the construction and maintenance of prisons which continue to embrace a continuing growing prison population. Governments have seen it appropriate to try to capture the problems of the wider society after they have left the proverbial stable.

Prisons have become a place to dump the problems of our wider societies, as we all well know, this can be a very "smelly" undertaken laden with many "toxins" and "hazards".

Prison life can convert the humblest and caring of individuals into the hardest of criminals. Prisoners who are instituted are of the elk of rapers, murderers, and thieves, and might be combined with those who have performed less unsociable acts. Which begs the question. Are prisons necessary?

In prison you are confronted with a whole new culture, where you could be easily beaten, raped, or seriously maimed. Prisoners not only operate on a basis of exchange of money, but by means of barter, and on the operation of gangs and groups.

This having been said, prisons are a necessary evil in order to act as a deterrent for acts which are in opposition to what the wider society believes and accepts. But the advantages are now quickly overtaken by the disadvantages of such a system. The prison system at times incarcerates individuals, for minor offences; and increases the criminal IQ of many.

This has lead to waste of taxpayer’s money, because these persons then leave prison with a higher criminal IQ than what they previously had; shame on their backs for having attended prison, and the stigma to deal with as society believes once a criminal always a criminal

Many are confronted with not being able to acquire proper employment and in some instances return to prison as a result

The solution is not to imprison our young healthy and bright minds, who might have gotten involved in minor offences such as purchasing drugs, some cases of theft etc. These persons can be punished in other ways which wouldn't involve the taxpayer pulling his pocket.

Some for example include a good flogging this would deter most. Community service of some sort of maybe sweeping the streets, debushing areas etc, so the wider society could benefit without necessarily creating a more rounded criminal.

Are prisons necessary? Leave your comments.

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