The Illusion of Prison
Prison was made for those who were wronged; not those who wronged.
Prison was made to make the parents whose son was killed, the girl who was raped, and, the man whose TV was stolen, to feel a little bit better. But, be that as it may, prisoning the wrongdoers will not bring their son, her
virginity, and, his
TV back.
People rarely use a gun to steal for fun, or, to kill, just to kill time.
There usually are social ills contributing to such behaviors. But, instead of those in power attempting to prevent the cause, they try to deal with the effects of the effect.
In a word, the prisoner is likely to steal, or kill, again. If whatever that caused him to do so, before he was prisoned, is still there; after he has served his 10-year sentence.
The whole idea behind prison is akin to unwanted pregnancies. Instead of the government investing more money on, say, the availability and distribution of free condoms, they invest in fancier abortion medication and equipment.
(
Prison is not a solution to social ills; it is merely a “consolation prize” for the stolen from, the assaulted, the raped, or, the killed’s loved ones.)
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— October 13, 2011.