Oh, and by the way, I didn't write or pass the laws he violated repeatedly.

__________________

Rather than trying to improve prisons, I think it better to try to eliminate them.

I think restitution is always better than incarceration. All the people who are in prisons for drug abuse, statuatory rape, stealing somebody's boombox, etc., should not even be there in the first place. The government has criminalized the citizenry, especially the federal government with their involvement in domestic drug-dealing, the phony "war on drugs". Its ridiculous that someone can get caught with some itty bitty bag of dope and get sent to the slammer for years for it.

Before drugs were outlawed very few people abused drugs. The more drug laws there are, the more abuse there is. Outlawing drugs raises the price and the high profits make pushing them a very attractive business to the lazy. Its a way out from a life of real work. Besides, cocain and opium are nature's pain killers that relieve human suffering. Who is the government to ban these things and criminalize the people?

Law enforcement is a State responsibility. Federal crime laws of a domestic nature should be repealed and the federal court system abolished. Often so-called criminal activity is just an effect of some previous government involvement in our society. As usual, the government is the problem, not the solution.

If someone has committed first degree murder, they should be hanged the next morning. For repeated assault, an offender should be interned in a work camp. Yes, a work camp, a self-sustaining work camp.

The bottom line is, there is an alternative to prisons.

Prisons should be about punishment,that is the purpose of prisons.However the scariest thing about prisons today is becoming some inmate's girlfriend or getting stabbed to death not the loss of freedom and things you enjoyed in the free world.Because today inmates can get a free education,a sex change paid for by tax payers in some states,three meals a day,play video games,lift weights, watch tv and many other things that law abiding citizens get to enjoy.The scum behind bars these days live better than free people in third world nations.Sending someone to prison today is the equivalent of sending a child to his room as a punishment when that child a computer,video games,tv, telephone and all his toys.Why would a inmate have motivation to correct his behavior when he practically has all the same things in prison that he does in the free world?

Can you cite a source demonstrating regular prisoner access to:

Computers

Video games

Telephones

Paid gender change surgery


Also, if prisons are all about "punishment," what impact on future behaviors do you expect from the punished when they're released? It seems to me that the creation of more violent criminals is not a good goal, but a common result of a punishment system.

__________________
Whan they come, Ah sall staun mah grun
Staun mah grun, an be na afraid.
Thochts ae hame tak awa mah fear
Sweat an bluid hide mah veil o tears.

Prison keeps eye on inmate computer use
Prison keeps eye on inmate computer use

USATODAY.com - Video games a hit with Oregon inmates
Video games a hit with Oregon inmates


PULP NETWORK: Governor Spitzer Promises Reform of Prison Inmate Telephone Charges

Sitting Pretty: Who Pays for Sex Reassignment Surgery?
In the State of Washington, Medicaid officials are taking steps to end publicly funded sex-change surgeries

Inmate's sex-change bid costly - News
n 2002, U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf ruled that Kosilek was entitled to medical treatment for gender identity disorder, but stopped short of ordering the surgery. Kosilek sued again in 2005, arguing that the hormone treatments, laser hair removal and psychotherapy she has received since Wolf's ruling have not relieved her anxiety and depression.

The scum in the ACLU think we should pay for the scum behind bars to receive same sex surgery.
ACLU and Lambda Legal Challenge Wisconsin Law :: Transgender Tapestry & The International Foundation for Gender Education :: Promoting Acceptance for Transgender People



If prison was actually a punishment they would change their behavior so they would not get in trouble.Would it make sense sending a child to his room as punishment if he has tv,video games,computer,internet and phone in his room?

(Shakes head).

I don't think those are very good sources if you are interested in what is happening in prisons. These are better:

Psychiatric Times

FindLaw's Writ - Mariner: Prisons as Mental Institutions

you might also be interested to have a look and see what sort of programmes reduce recividism. In general, activitites that improve a prisoners skills in areas that enhance personal growth and development, life skills and marketable skills, as well as self esteem, are far more likley to reduce the chances of re offending.

I can't comment on the information you've provided - but I do know that US prisons are regarded as far worse than ours, and yet ours also have many problems.

Do you think this holds good for any disenfranchised, overcrowded , disconsolate and threatened community ?

Apparently in some states inmates have access to porn and pedo-porn.

Local News | Sex offenders at state center getting porn | Seattle Times Newspaper
Sex offenders at state center getting porn
The state's treatment center on McNeil Island for its most predatory sex offenders is surrounded by concertina wire and security cameras. Mail and visitors are searched, and the staff can't even bring iPods to work.

But that hasn't kept some men held at the Special Commitment Center (SCC) from getting their hands on thousands of images of child pornography.

In the past two years, at least four of the 267 residents have been charged with possessing illegal pornography, and officials there are investigating several others. The latest case emerged just before Christmas, when the FBI arrested a 49-year-old child molester who had computer CDs full of graphic child pornography stashed in his room.

__________________
"There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”—Theodore Roosevelt

Have you ever read the book Fish? It's about a teenage boy that gets sent to prison for robbing a drive through photo mat with a toy gun. He got sent to prison and was made a prison bitch. They offered him a beer(s) that were laced and he was rapped by several other inmates. This is where I first heard the word forced feminization and it's a very real thing in prison. Of course a young guy is going to look more femanine (you know young) than older inmates. In other words they make the "weaker male" feel like a female. Anyway when the guy recovered they told him he had to have this more dominant male for protection which he had to provide service (oral sex ect.) to which he says was better than what he would have had to do without protection. Some deal eh? Don't think they just do it to white males there's a lot of blacks that are made to be a feminine partner to a more physically dominant male which is considered to be the man. Many of the rapist don't believe what they are doing is gay. They actually believe that because their behind bars that it is a masculine thing to do. I've never been to prison but I've been arrested and released for fighting in bars ect... I've seen some criminals that are going to the pen though and some of these people are real scary people. Not just their physical size but they have mental problems. Some are very vile and demented. In gangs that's promoted and in a lot of rap "music". Who can be more vicious than the next. But some day the gavel is hammered down. So with as many prisoners that there are it's going to be the prison gangs running the prison not the correctional officers. Some of those correctional officers are good guys and some are not. The bad ones don't care about rehabilitation.

In case you never read the book here are some videos you might find interesting about T.J. Parsell.
Prison Rape
Forced Feminization in Prison

After I watched these I literally throw up. Surely a young person going to prison will come out worse than what they went in for.

LIVINGINTHEV JOHN HICKS

A lot of people in prison though are hard criminals. I don't really have a side as for the criminal or law enforcement. Me as a civilian just has to deal with society. I've dealt with criminals and law enforcement and I can say that both can be very hard to deal with. I can say neither are trustworthy because the both have their way of being unfair. The law has a way of looking down on everyone while real criminals are very micheivious. Criminals will screw you over and say hey it wasn't me or that's just the way it is and shrug it off. The law will screw you over and act like you deserve it hiding behind their authority. With criminals it's not authority but violence but not everybody that has a flash of violence is a criminal. When dealing with the law it's like black jack sometimes their ok and sometimes their not. With criminals they are going to screw you in one way or another. It's just a matter of time before a criminal crosses the line. It's just human nature to get pissed off at something when things are unfair. Unfortunatly a lot of young people spend their whole life over a petty mistake. The rap culture has a habit of promoting criminals. Makes you wonder how things will ever change this way with so many young people polluting their minds.

Real Prison Rape

This is step by step narration of what Parsell went through.

I've already got warned over you once,so I'm going to be careful not to call you any names.

Poor thing, can't keep up with a simple conversation that has passed back and forth more than 3 times? I've never been "sentenced" to anything spaz. I mean traffic tickets. Well not even that if you consider statute of limitations. I have no trouble getting insurance pal. My record comes up clear.
I am curious about this statement you made; " I just have to put up with your constant case of the ass about not being "special" enough to ignore the law and do whatever you please, when you please."

Has ANYTHING I've said indicated I feel like I or anybody has a right to "ignore the law" or "do whatever you please, when you please"?

Say what does "case of the ass" mean? I've actually really asked around and nobody I know uses that phrase.

That must be one of those phrases that only you co's use that none of the co's I know have ever heard.


Well that's cool info. Is that what you tell yourself? Is it important for you to believe he's screwed up somebody else's life somehow? What if the only life he's screwed up is his own? Sorry to bother you with trifles.

I agree 100%, if you kill somebody, some kid, life imprisonment or even death penalty. But wait, he didn't kill, mutilate or otherwise harm any child. hmmmm


So I should be thankful to the state for stopping my brother from doing what he MIGHT have done? ?? ????

Are you here admitting that my brother is in prison because he MIGHT have comitted a crime?

No doubt. I'd be surprised if you're half that.

You made a guess based on your level of experience which is quite young. You're MAYBE 30, probably younger.

Unless you are conan the barbarian it is natural for human beings to choose the path of least resistance, to survive. To survive.

Spaz lives in a world that does not exist on this planet. Regardless his natural age, he is a child.

Neal. This is how important it is. NOTHING to me. You guys screw up the world I'll be too old for it to matter to me. I'm already 45, close to 46. I'm tired. Flat out worn out I'll admit it. I'm looking at retirement not activism.

It's up to you Neal. It's up to you and however many young people are left not glued to a tv or computer screen.

Quite honestly I'm concerned for you.

The Japanese jail in Naha would be a good example to follow for the punishment route. Single room, absolute quiet, subsistance diet, get your ass beat down by the guards for any infraction. From the way clothing is worn to masturbation to not standing when a jailer shows up, or simply showing disrespect to the system.

We had a Marine who thought he was tough shit, in his mind a real thug assed gangster. He committed a crime in Okinawa ( stole a cell phone from a local). He went to Naha jail for three months, and came out a changed man, a model citizen.

Will this work in all cases? No, but it damn sure is a good deterrent.

This is human nature.

Another aspect of human nature is that we are social animals - and like other social species we have pecking orders. Hence, the way we behave in group situations is influenced by this.

The 'culture' of the environment will shape what we do, and how we relate to others. We don't have to be special for this to happen. Looking at the prison situation - Philip Zimbardo's "Prison Study" showed how quickly students assigned roles of 'prisoner' or 'guard' would get into 'role.' Had the experiment continued who knows what else might have turned up - wihin those groups.

We should also be mindful that 'scapegoating' is a practise that has existed in Abrahamic culture at least for thousands of years. This is where we attach ALL the sins of the group to one individual, and cast that person out.

When we see people discussing those in the justice system as if they are all in one basket, all irredeemably criminal and deserving of what they get, we may need to look at ourselves and see which of our own 'sins' we are projecting onto them.

We need to have a judicial system that is mindful of both of these points if we are to have a just system.

We also need to focus on rehabilitaion more, andlook at ways of reducing recividism. There is a lot of evidence that employment and housing stability goes a long way to reducing recividism.

The majority of crimes committed by males occur when the perpetrator is in his teens/early twenties. It tends to drop off sharply after this point. For most staying out of the prison system at this point is the greatest preventative to them, individually, committing other crimes.

I don't necessarily think ALL people who commit crimes in this age group should be given a rap over the knuckles, but I think realistic sentencing options would take that into account, and ensure those convicted don't have their lives thrown away because of a mistake, or sometimes more accurately - because they were silly enough to get caught doing what many others do.

You need different levels of facilities for this, which although strictly regimented, focus on training and developing so the inmate will be able to reenter society as a productive member. For most, the experience of a loss of freedom, combined with maturity, should be enough to ensure they don't re offend.

Knowing what we know now about develpomental psychology and human behaviour, to do otherwise is quite barbaric.