Life Sentence as a PRIOR Felon?
Is how we treat "Prior" Felons in the US fair? Does a "past" felony make a person less of a person for the REST of their lives is my particular question:
OK, you cheat on a test, get caught, you fail that one class, you don’t get your entire education taken away do you? You have the opportunity to make it up and graduate, you don’t get kicked out and refused reentry, do you?
You fail to pay your bills on time, even though you signed a "legal binding contract" that you would, right, so essentially you are stealing or at least defrauding the lenders? So, when do they come and collect your stuff and make sure that you never, ever, get anything on credit again? Doesn’t happen!, at most your credit damaged but is repairable. You might have to wait a few years but you get it back.
You cheat on your taxes right? So what happens? You pay the taxes plus a fine and all is forgotten.
All of these seemingly minor offenses I just mentioned used to be punished as severely as any other crime. Life expulsions, Debtor’s prison, and Tax courts, were all a part of the way societies dealt with those who broke the rules. But we decided at some point that was too severe, so why is a life sentence even fair, or constitutional, and how does the person re-enter society?
Why does Europe focus on Rehab and Restitution but the US seems focused on Retribution? The costs of incarceration of the highest prison population in the world are staggering. I don’t want pay for that and getting nothing in return from persons that can never earn enough to do more than take care of themselves. How does the ban on employment and education opportunities repay me for housing them for any period of time?
I wonder how many of you would be in favor of a graduated system that allows a person to become a "non" felon after time and restitution are done. Seems fair to me, although I would have problem with some crimes. I guess if the person proved themselves worthy I could forgive and forget. The paid there price and served their time so let them move on?
Please don’t focus on just murder and rape, I talking the wider scope; felonies for fraud/larceny, drugs, DUI, etc.. Take this point a person in the US can make a single mistake and that mistake carries on for the rest of their lives, is that fair?
Okay, but 3 strikes and you are out for the rest of your life. Deal?
Comments
I don’t know. I consider myself overwhelming liberal, but I see a lot of problems with this.
I agree that at least for some crimes – particularly drug related – forced rehab sounds like a good idea, and allowing the person to start over after a time.
On the other hand, there is a lot of truth to the fact that people respond to carrots and sticks, and sometimes we need sticks. You mentioned how we’ve eased penalties on debt, but haven’t debt problems in the U.S. become absurdly insane compared to the way they were say 50-100 years ago?
I don’t know. Maybe if you had a better idea of what this "Rehab and Restitution" would entail? Exactly how would we rehabilitate certain crimes?
Ironically, I could easily see us rehabilitating many of the most violent and sociopathic criminals who actually may just need medications and therapy, but what about cold-blooded criminals? People who may consciously, without benefit of a mental disease, decide that committing a crime is worth just a few years of punishment.
This is a complicated issue that I think should really be based on 1) a crime-by-crime basis 2) what are the options for "rehab and restitution"
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I prefer the death penalty myself. I have no interest in giving murderers, child molesters, or rapists a second chance. There is no amount of time or action they could do to make up for those crimes.
As for thieves or similar crimes, I’m not sure. I would have to take that on a person by person basis. But I doubt you would like my answer for that either, even if I gave it thought.
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December 31st, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Okay, but 3 strikes and you are out for the rest of your life. Deal?
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