The United States' Justice System, In a nutshell. Options

[*CrackedRearView*]

Corrupt. Ignorant. Unteachable. Folly. Stupidity.

Every one of these words would adequately describe the idiocy that is the parole system. Let me tell you a little story...

In 1966 a man named Kenneth Allen McDuff killed three teenagers and went to jail for life on the condition that he would "never have the chance for parole".

Fair enough? I'd say so.

But, in 1991 he was paroled (?) and killed five more women.

The same is the case for many other horrible killers...

What has bred such stupidity in an institute of the United States that was designed to curtail such stupid acts?

I guess the debatable question should be: 'Why is there such a problem in the Justice System, and what can be done to curb it'?

[Aesirus]

The problem is the punishment structure of our court system.

The only developed country that has kept a consistently low crime rate has been that of Japan. Their justice system has focused on a unique combination of "tough love" and rehabilitation.

They use a system where the criminal has to pay restitution to the victim. A thief might be punished, for example, by paying back the family what he stole, and then some. This method shows people that they have actually caused harms in society. A lot of hardened criminals may be sadists, but most are not.

In the United States, the four lowest crime rates are in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Alaska. Of those states, two (Vermont and Alaska) allow concelaed carry of handguns with no permit, and the other two issue concealed carry permits on a "shall-issue" basis. In addition, three (Vermont, NH, and Maine) allow prisoners to vote while in jail. This helps integrate them into society rather than alienating them further. And it also provides a check, since if the number of people in jail was so big that they became a viable political constitutency, then that would be a problem in the system itself.