California taxpayers to pay $100,000 for convicted murderer to become a woman

[gsj68]

Excellent point shocking we agree must be the heat. I can tell you from personal experience 75% of the criminal I deal with are return offenders 60% of them are on their 3rd time or more. I have been there almost 20 years and now I have sons and daughters of inmates I dealt with when I started. Sad

what part of the country?

[timber09]

Our prison system is broken.
Crime deterrent and rehabilitation should be the two things that are built by the prison system. Get people ready for the outside and if you can't, well leave them there forever.

Unfortunately, we keep locking up low level criminals (ie young, low level street pushers and/or drug users). Sounds good to a lot of folks but then these users head to prison - they network and find opportunities and become career criminals. In many cases, it is a job fair for criminals.

Instead of focusing on getting people clean, we have this ridiculous "War on Drugs". We can't get people help so they can be clean, get jobs and lead decent lives - that just wouldn't be "fair". So instead we lock them up because it feels good and just. A couple years later the 20 year old user has graduated and is now released with a full career plan in front of him - he has a network, support system and new training - not at anything legitimate mind you. These are all services offered by the other inmates not our prison system.

At least the private prison industry is booming.

[ajcorleone]

Pa

what part of the country?

[ajcorleone]

THe problem is too much emphasis on rehabilitation when you have 3 and 4 strike candidates coming back. When is enough / enough????

Our prison system is broken.
Crime deterrent and rehabilitation should be the two things that are built by the prison system. Get people ready for the outside and if you can't, well leave them there forever.

Unfortunately, we keep locking up low level criminals (ie young, low level street pushers and/or drug users). Sounds good to a lot of folks but then these users head to prison - they network and find opportunities and become career criminals. In many cases, it is a job fair for criminals.

Instead of focusing on getting people clean, we have this ridiculous "War on Drugs". We can't get people help so they can be clean, get jobs and lead decent lives - that just wouldn't be "fair". So instead we lock them up because it feels good and just. A couple years later the 20 year old user has graduated and is now released with a full career plan in front of him - he has a network, support system and new training - not at anything legitimate mind you. These are all services offered by the other inmates not our prison system.

At least the private prison industry is booming.

[gsj68]

THe problem is too much emphasis on rehabilitation when you have 3 and 4 strike candidates coming back. When is enough / enough????

about 3-4 strikes,when helping turns to giving my attitude changes

[timber09]

THe problem is too much emphasis on rehabilitation when you have 3 and 4 strike candidates coming back. When is enough / enough????

I don't entirely disagree.
But,
If our prisons aren't incentive for good behavior (meaning they aren't scaring anyone away) and they aren't correcting bad behavior - then what is the point of the prison? Are we just looking to put the bad guys in a collective time-out and hope that everything works out for the best?

I am personally completely fine with getting significantly more stern punishment on violent crimes, multiple offenses, career criminals, etc. That being said, we put too many people in jail. There needs to be something different for many of the people that end up in there - as a complete blanket statement, we are far to harsh on low-level criminals and lax on some big time scary dudes.

[ajcorleone]

Again good points. FUnny how our political leaders are only concerned with law and jails at election time.

I don't entirely disagree.
But,
If our prisons aren't incentive for good behavior (meaning they aren't scaring anyone away) and they aren't correcting bad behavior - then what is the point of the prison? Are we just looking to put the bad guys in a collective time-out and hope that everything works out for the best?

I am personally completely fine with getting significantly more stern punishment on violent crimes, multiple offenses, career criminals, etc. That being said, we put too many people in jail. There needs to be something different for many of the people that end up in there - as a complete blanket statement, we are far to harsh on low-level criminals and lax on some big time scary dudes.