If the whole is equal to the sum of its parts than our "whole" cannot be reached until our parts are gathered and acknowledged. This blog will act as a collection, a gallery that records our “parts and particles” (our particulars) in an effort to connect the dots; to endlessly connect the dots.
I've never been to prison, so I don't know. I would imagine that it's purpose is to make criminals better people, but it doesn't turn out as such. The other crazy people are are in those prisons end up making everyone watch out for themselves rather than help out other people.
ReplyDeleteIt turns out being an eye for an eye in those prisons, which ends up having a negative impact on their already bad behavior.
i feel that prisons are created to give discipline as well as make people better. discipline is to make them regret what they do and that builds character and a mind set that makes prisoners not want to do what they did to get in there. although there are many repeated offenders on numerous accounts so this can not be said for many people.
ReplyDeleteHELL NO. prisons are designed to take tax dollars to babysit people for a period of time. if our prisons were rehabilitating people we wouldn't have so many second offenders. A majority of sexual offenders that have done time, do it agian when they are out. Our tax money needs to be put into educating criminals and making them better people. Not to mention its wasting our tax money.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug03/rehab.aspx
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this is a really good article about prison situation in U.S.
I feel that prisons are to punish, as well as to teach. Remember when you went into time-out as a kid, it was like saying you have to be seperated from your friends in order to learn you lesson. So i feel that being locked up is a way for them to make you realize, HEY! get your act together so you can enjoy you life and live to the fullest. It punishes you and lets you know it is not acceptable to being doing what you did. It is a way for us to grow as a person and take time to realize, this is what I did, this is why I did it,and being here is an opportunity where I can change, if that person can...
ReplyDeleteGREAT QUESTION CLARENCE!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. I am aware of the sterotype of prison guards from the Hollywood aspect of things. They are mean and strict, and show no respect to the inmates. So that would pretty much be my basis for my answer. My perception of prisons are also based on the phrase "YOU DO THE CRIME, YOU DO THE TIME". I feel as if they have programs other than prisons that rehabilite the actual inmate. I feel that they should incorparate some of those postive programs to make the inmate a better all around person.
In contrast, Juvenile Detention Centers have programs in them that really help build the character of the inmate. I am pretty close with someone in a JDC so I know first-hand on how some things operate. The JDC's in Minnesota - it is essential for all inmates to be matched with a "shrink" that they meet with 2-3 times a week to reflect and resolve issues in thier life. I think that is a good thing, becuase most of the time when people do crazy things it is for a reason, either they are trying to prove themself and need to talk abou tthat or they don't actually know what is wrong with them. I think that is why those services help.
** I feel that there may be "shrinks" available in State Prisions but you have to be in a crazy state of mind to use that resource.
I believe jail is a place where they send ppl to think about the consequences they have to face… and to let them know what they are doing is wrong…. It’s a place where they are surrounded by ppl that are just likk them… or even worst… I think jail is like a big mirror to place into front of them, so they can see what they have really done and how it looks… some ppl learn from it and some don’t… it’s all about how their experience was while they were in there…
ReplyDeletei think of prison the same way i view being grounded.. i feel you get what you take from it
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ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic question! Great insight Sierra, thank you for sharing that. And Domenic's comments about the lack of educational programming in prisons is frightening!
ReplyDeleteIt's true, there is no real attempt at active rehabilitation. It's simply, "this is the result of your action." If any of us have seen a mob movie or anything, it seems that doing time is just a part of being a criminal; they hardly rescind their past choices and turn a new leaf. Could our tax dollars be spent in better ways? What should we do instead? Is it realistic?
Abby, I'm unsure if prison is really like "time out." If it were, time out would be putting you in a corner with all the other kids who did bad things so that you can hang out and plot to do more bad stuff once you get the opportunity. I'm not saying that isolation would be an appropriate alternative, far from it, but I don't know how accurate a comparison that is.
a survey in 2002 showed that 67.5% were rearrested within 3 years. 52% are now back in jail. so over half that leave come back, and well over half commit another crime.
ReplyDeleteI see no rehabilitation.
i believe that most people use jail as a way to get away from the harsh reality they deal with everyday. they dont feel safe any where else so they do things to land in jail. Also most people that go to jail, is used to being there, its all they know. so they go back just to feel comfortable.
ReplyDeleteKyrin can you elaborate
ReplyDeleteJeez Domenic, that's a terrifying statistic. Thank you for sharing. What are we exactly spending our tax dollars on? What should we do?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sierra 100% I don't believe that prisons are designed to rehabilitate because most of the time when prisoners get out then end up right back in jail where they started.
ReplyDeletein response to jeff i think there should be more oppritunities for ex cons
ReplyDeleteto JAYMEE i know a lot of people that are or have been in jail and i feel that its a mental thing for them.. they return with the same view and attitudes the only difference is with them the getting caught factor is what they try to change most
ReplyDelete"For $37,000 a year you can buy the best education in the country, better than Harvard, or MIT or Vassar. Pennsylvania taxpayers happily put out that amount and more just to educate men in crime!
ReplyDeleteAs of 2007, the date for which these statistics were current, Pennsylvania taxpayers eagerly shelled-out $1,680,623,000.00 (that's almost one billion, six hundred eighty one million dollars) to operate 27 state prisons. The prisons' only function is to educate 45,596 prisoners how to be "better" at their occupations. For $37,000 a year, you'd think the state could find some better form of education. Maybe if the prisoners were actually sent to places such as Harvard or MIT, the state's crime problems would vanish. Even a $15,000 stint at Penn (not pen) State would be far preferable. Punishment doesn't work. Try something else.
Almost all the money paid to operated the state's prisons is actually paid as excessive salaries, whopping benefits, and costly perks (from free meals to free housing, free psychiatric care to free eyeglasses, free haircuts to free auto repair) to the bloated prison staff. Only a few percent of the tons of money and it's literally tons of tens and twenties benefits the prisoners in any way."
^^^^^^^^^^ snagged this from a website. thats where our money goes.
In my opinion its basically a pause from civilian life, not structured to rehabilitate but as a revolving door. Sure, turning to the light goes on but that's a personal pursuit, and not an applied system. It creates a cycle of behind and beyond bars, that keeps the prison system flooded. This creates a tie into the host community, with availability of jobs, and the prisoners being accounted for as residents for better federal funds and better political representation. Prisons can even be owned by corporations, is it any wonder they don't help?
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see that some of you are starting to use statistics, articles, and resources to back up your points.
ReplyDeleteClarence's paper is on the possibility of reform in the prison system and he can use this "blog research" as part of his essay. Not a bad idea to survey your peers and gather "popular opinion."