07-04-2017, 11:59 AM
I am going to subject this thread to an opinion on alternative means of punishment. Will try not to be too long. Topic is way overdue. Most criminals do not belong in prison. Only violent ones, really.
It is going to involve criminals being required to wear electronic bracelets that do a host of things: monitor their whereabouts, allow 2 way conversations (Computer voice: "Inmate 387, you are not allowed to go near any beach parks; you need to go straight home from your worksite. Please change your route.")
...body monitoring to indicate if the inmate is under the influence. ("Inmate 387, you violated the illegal substances code; your weekly authorization for a 1-hour mall visit is suspended for a month.") and more.
The technology is here; it will take overcoming opposition from civil libertarians and current justice administrators (and others). Interestingly, civilian libertarians (e.g. ACLU) never opposed electronic bracelets requiring people to stay home--technology some 30 years old now.
But I suppose they think it's better for people to be in prison for 5 years than being released on 5-year work programs while being controlled by a highly invasive body monitor.
Yes, inmates are going to work. If they do not want to work, no problem. Every day of work reduces sentence by say 1 day. There will be many volunteers. ("You want to sit around every day and do a 5-year sentence instead of work and do a 2 1/2 year sentence? Your call.") And if there is nothing available but farm work, so be it. (There will always be farm work.)
Civil libertarians, how many years do you want to debate this? 8 years? 15 years? 30 years? Whatever you want we will accommodate you. A lot of folks like the lock-em-up policy in any event, where non-violent offenders are mostly doing nothing all day at a cost to the taxpayer of $35 - $50 K a year.
It is going to involve criminals being required to wear electronic bracelets that do a host of things: monitor their whereabouts, allow 2 way conversations (Computer voice: "Inmate 387, you are not allowed to go near any beach parks; you need to go straight home from your worksite. Please change your route.")
...body monitoring to indicate if the inmate is under the influence. ("Inmate 387, you violated the illegal substances code; your weekly authorization for a 1-hour mall visit is suspended for a month.") and more.
The technology is here; it will take overcoming opposition from civil libertarians and current justice administrators (and others). Interestingly, civilian libertarians (e.g. ACLU) never opposed electronic bracelets requiring people to stay home--technology some 30 years old now.
But I suppose they think it's better for people to be in prison for 5 years than being released on 5-year work programs while being controlled by a highly invasive body monitor.
Yes, inmates are going to work. If they do not want to work, no problem. Every day of work reduces sentence by say 1 day. There will be many volunteers. ("You want to sit around every day and do a 5-year sentence instead of work and do a 2 1/2 year sentence? Your call.") And if there is nothing available but farm work, so be it. (There will always be farm work.)
Civil libertarians, how many years do you want to debate this? 8 years? 15 years? 30 years? Whatever you want we will accommodate you. A lot of folks like the lock-em-up policy in any event, where non-violent offenders are mostly doing nothing all day at a cost to the taxpayer of $35 - $50 K a year.