Rehabilitation or Retribution, Our criminal justice system. Options

[MissHygienic]

Which one should we focus on more in our criminal justice system? Basically, which one would serve as a satisfactory/fitting punishment for prisoners?

[NoSex]

The justice system needs tweaking, however, if the justice system worked as it should, then those who commit heinous and vile crimes should be punished accordingly. Kill 'em. f**k it.

Why? What's the point? Isn't that contrary? We spend our time telling our children not to hurt others and that two wrongs don't make a right... where's the f**king sense in that?

Further, haven't you considered the reality of America's social climate? We live in a society that is alienating, isolating, and oppressive towards the poor, the marginalized, the eccentric, and the "strange." Our society breeds crime and enforces repeat offenses. Our society is a poison and the state of our prisons is a mirror.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xJ0B2xDzSgg&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xJ0B2xDzSgg&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xJ0B2xDzSgg&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xJ0B2xDzSgg&feature=related

(There is a good f**king reason that Norway has fewer homicides, in its entire country, each year (about fifty), than the single city of Gary, Indiana.)

Sorry Charlie, I'm going to have to look the other way on this one. Americans spend too much money keeping inmates locked away for "rehabilitation" instead of "retribution." Over six billion dollars is spent "rehabilitating" criminals.

There is a much better solution to financial issues surrounding our prison system. Fifty-seven percent of our prisons are full of non-violent drug offenders and we spend (without considering upkeep, prison expenses, or judicial procedures) twelve billion dollars a year waging the "war" on drugs. Legalize drugs, end the Drug War, and you've suddenly saved thirty or so billion dollars a year, as well as reduced crime, reunited families, added to the workforce and the consumer population, and affirmed freedom.

Rehabilitation discourages repeat offenses (it's kind of hard being alive in the grave for years and years, being treated like shit and scum, and them suddenly being thrown out into society again) and could help reduce crime and free up our prisons. It also increases the mental health of our society as a whole - it allows people to regain and maintain respect, live a free life, and contribute to the world.

Look the other way all you want - that's the f**king problem with our society. We refuse to take responsibility for the ills and the poisons we create. Throw them away and put them behind walls, out of sight out of mind. What we need are people to stare the problem down and tackle it head on. f**k your cowardly shit.

They deserve a punishment suitable for their crime. Sitting in a jail cell is punishment, but not punishment enough. You have to give people a reason to fear doing crime. A slap on the wrist is not deterrant enough.

Criminals don't think they're going to get caught in the first place, jackass. It doesn't matter what the f**k you do. People don't commit crimes expecting to get caught - thus the severity of their punishment is wholly irrelevant.

Not to mention, you have to consider phenomena such as the exponentially increasing crime rate in Texas in comparison to the shrinking rates in the Midwest. Texas has the largest death row population in the United States. States in the Midwest tend to have the lowest. A bit contrary to your hypothesis, huh jackass?