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?

[*paperplane*]

America has a problem with repeat offenders of drunk driving. El Salvador has no repeat drunk driving offenders- the first time you are caught drunk driving, you are put to death by firing squad. It works for them, so why shouldn't we do it too? Just because it works doesn't mean its the right, or that it's right for us.

And that's where we run into the Chinese System. Their first offenders serve short jail sentences, which focuses on rehabilitation that emphasizes social consciousness and sincere repentance. Repeat offenders get put to death. The American government has looked into this and considered implementation because there are fewer people in their prisons, and obviously far fewer repeat offenders.
Buuuuuuut of course, that's far too cruel. However, if their system is worthy of consideration, even though society operates differently in China, then other countries' more humane, but also effective methods should be considered too without being written off because, just for example, "America =/= Norway."

That and even if some how Americans became more willing to accept higher taxes, no politician is going to say "I'm going to raise taxes to help rehabilitate criminals" in their platform. The same applies to the poverty rate. The poverty limit is some # (I forget the exact amount), when living right above the poverty limit is still pretty shit poor. The # needs to be adjusted, but no politician wants to have poverty shoot up while they were in office.

If politicians are so concerned with the poverty rate, perhaps they should start putting a little more money towards reducing it, rather than pouring it into unjust wars.

Go straw man yourself. Why should we try to be Norway? We aren't Norway and we don't want to be Norway.

Why not try to be like Norway? Who doesn't want to be more like Norway? Obviously people aren't satisfied with the ways things are here, so we shouldn't be so quick to write off other countries' non-violent practices.