Rehabilitation vs punishment

[Randy]

Should governments revise their penal systems to focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment?

Do you think this would help society? Would it reduce crime and repeat offenders?

How could we make this happen? ...or are things fine the way they are?

 

[PGen98]

In the US, 100%. Rehabilitation is such a secondary consideration it's laughable. As it stands now the system is purely punitive, you commit and offense and you're sent to sit in a cell or mix with everyone from people who made terrible choices to people who have done terrible things, the slightest perceived insult and you're a target. What does that teach anyone except to keep hidden and learn to hide your actions from people? How do you teach someone a trade, offer them a chance to move forward and truly rehabilitate when all that person is allowed to do is sit in a cell or congregate in a common area? It's meaningless punishment.

 

[Jayson]

Some people can be rehabilitated but others can't to various degrees due to maybe narcissism, something like that.

 

[MrDawn]

You can’t rehabilitate someone who will not admit what they’ve done.

 

[DrLeftover]

It would appear that the discussion is moot in some major cities where the criminal never sees the inside of the prison but is instead freed to continue their work in the streets....

...Offenders are often released on the same day they are arrested, and many go on to do more harm even as earlier cases against them are still pending. Yet district attorneys like Manhattan’s Alvin Bragg remain committed to so-called restorative justice and diversion programmes that keep criminals on the streets.

All this sends the wrong message to offenders. Criminals have come to believe that crime pays, and there are no consequences; law-abiding New Yorkers live in fear, especially in the confined spaces of the subway system.

Why Gotham’s bad old days are back

unherd.com

 

[Doc Nova]

Americans are a fan of selective punishments. We've all seen it, people say 'x' person shouldn't be punished for doing this, but 'y' person did something heinous and should be. "There's no rehabilitating them!"

Rehabilitation should be the focus, as anyone can be rehabbed if they want to be.