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Termyn8or -> RE: Prison Reforms - You Decide (2/21/2008 9:27:50 AM)
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If there were true justice here, fully informed juries, no hiding of conflicting evidence by prosecutors, and true investigationa instead of what they do now which is to build a case against the most likely suspect, I would make prisons pretty tough.
A fully informed jury also means that they are informed of their duty to judge the law as well as the facts, that is precisely what juries are for. They could, and sometimes I think they would make a law against parking your car on the street overnight, and make the penalty ten years. That is what a jury is for, to acquit in such cases.
Or is your question more about the taxes ? Well, if you are actually making money sitting in the can, should you or not ? That could be one hell of a debate. There are indded many sides to it. No, because you can't vote, you are not using the roads and you can't file anyway, but you can (there's a story, I'll stick it at the end). You are not using the roads, polluting the air and using the protections of public services, but are you ?
On the other hand if you are making money from royalties you are taking advantage of the system, specifically the intellectual property rights laws. So then the answer is yes.
But then, this is one of those I think where there will ALWAYS be another "But then".
The story - I'll keep it short as possible but I thought it very interesting. Michael Rodent, a.k.a. Mickey Mouse has changed the way the IRS does business. Back when you could get a refund check cashed easily it occured to him to go to the office supply store and some W4 forms. These are used to enable you to square up the taxes by stating your earnings and deductions (I mention that because not everybody in here is from the US). So this wiseguy just fills them out in various names, and the IRS did not check, they just issued refund checks. And how, the guy got over $100,000. But human stupidity being what it is, I do believe he tried to do it more than one year, so he got caught. Made the papers.
So anyway they get this guy in prison and I know not how the hell he got the forms, but he DID IT AGAIN, YES, while in prison. And this is the hoot, I want this guy's lawyer, because at his next trial (well it did do it again), the lawyer says "You might as well release him because you're obviously not rehabilitating him".
OK that was a bit of a diversion, but if I were running the justice system in a country it would be like this. First and foremost the law of the land would be that a jury trial would be required for any offence that cn result in a jail sentence. There are no plea bargains. Juries can acquit at will, or convict of a lesser charge at any time. Sentencing guidelines are strict. Once the jury decides there is not that much discretion. It would be much better than it is now because right now if you are really innocent, and want to fight the charge, if you lose you are penalized, usually with the maximum sentence. This ostensibly for wasting the court's time.
Under my system, there would be very few innocent people in jail. I used to think that there weren't that many, but over the years I have seen enough to change my opinion. I personally knew someone who went to prison for a murder he did not commit. My Father knows who really did it, but was not involved at the time, he found out later, too late. He would not have let an innocent Man rot in prison, he just found out about the situation through the grapevine so to speak, years later.
It was just too late.
So first you fix that, and make sure only the guilty are incarcerated, and then we make this incarceration worth the trouble. In my world a prison would be a prison school. Every inmate in school eight hours a day. Every one of them learning something, a trade, fixing cars, electronics, anything. Of those options they have their choice, but also would be the mandatory classes, tailored to specific classes of crimes.
And then there is work. There will be no time for fights, gang rapes and learning how to make wine. I haven't been in jail in a long time so I forget what it's called, the big room where the inmates all eat. Well there would be more than one. Both would have nutritious food, this is not like the old days, bread and water. You know they knew that if you only ate bread and water for a bunch of years it would wreck your health, and you can't get anything else. Then they worked your ass, using up whatever your body has stored. Almost nobody got out of prison with hair and teeth in the old days.
But the law says "Imprisonment for X years", not to age prematurely. That is cruel and inhumane IMO, so we do not want to do that. But there are two such eating places, and passes to the better one are bestowed on inates who excel in some way, or show signs that they are indeed rehabilitated, or making significant progress in that area. Even in class, say the top five or whatever in grades get the pass to the other eating room. I wish I could remember the word for it, it sounds so stupid this way.
In the normal eating room, they might have burgers, in the fancy eating room they have steaks. Many other differences, just think for a minute and you can see, it would not be like a five star restaurant, but it would be a treat.
Then any inmate who maintains getting the pass, to keep getting it he must help another get it. If you get a pass because you are doing well at rehabilitation (I specifically did not call it rehab) you help someone else. You should want to. IF you get your pass via academic achievement and keep getting it for a while, you have to tutor someone in your strong area(s). You should want to.
A prison is a place for people who did not grow up right, some have extremely nasty attitudes and there would be ways to deal with that.
Psychology, real psychology is used. Not this pump them up with drugs theory of today. They need to grow up, and for some reason people cannot see that. Really IMO an adult does not steal or rape or murder. Criminals, no matter what their level of expertise in a field, have not fully made the transistion into being an adult.
There are many people in society who use religion as a crutch. They don't have to grow up, that's a shame. But it does keep them out of the hooskaw (sp).
There is alot of bad in the world. Those who don't gain morals, get religion ro sit in jail have gotten themselves in a position to get away with what they're doing. Either by insulation from detection or being able to buy their way out of it. The latter are usually experts at it.
So my conclusion is that I am alright, the world is all wrong.
T
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