The sooner Michigancat realizes prison isn't the same thing as a voluntary inpatient rehabilitation center, the sooner we can get past this. Prison and capital punishment is punishment for crimes against society. Prison is not a place for counseling and group hugs.
Removing someone society and taking away just about every freedom a criminal has IS punishment. And unless you make all incarcerations life sentences, you should do what you can to rehabilitate prisoners - not just for the inmate, but for society at large.
I halfway agree with this Michigancat. I think prisons should have major rehabilitation programs for most inmates. Many are in prison because they were trying to provide for their family via means of robbery, selling drugs, GTA, forgery, identity theft, etc. (they may be doing 10-30 years of time). I do however think there is a line where rehabilitation is not the answer and it is unsafe for that person to be in any type of rehabilitation or prison system. Those who I do not think qualify are also the ones who should be doing life or being put to death (murderers, rapists, pedophiles).
The current prison system is kind of mumped up. I had a Chief of an adult detention center tell me his only job is to keep the prisoners in with no chance of reaching the outside world. He said they sometimes get access to drugs and whatever else, but as long as they don't get outside the walls he really doesn't give a eff. This attitude is why many prisoners doing time for convictions that do not carry life sentences find themselves back a short time later for making new bad decisions. Many are released with no money, no job (and good luck finding one), no new outlook on life, uneducated, and no plans for social self improvement. This is why our prison system grows and grows and grows.
