Gang violence is part of the US not just the prisons. They even have special gang related prisons. So if you aren't in a gang you wouldn't be sent to one. Mass murders( and some murderers) deserve to be locked in a cell 24/7. None of this play the computer or pool or something else rubbish.
For me, terrorists, serial killers and child killers should be sentenced to death because the crimes they have committed are so heinous they no longer have a right to live.
The definition of rehabilitation (at least in a legal sense) is to teach a criminal to "live a normal and productive life". Every single human being, no matter how heinous their crimes, deserves the chance to change.
Who are you to determine whether someone has the right to live or not? What puts you in this hypothetical, moral high-standing? Where's the cut off? What if someone is later proven to have been wrongly sentenced as is the case with hundreds of American citizens?
Look, there is no perfect system. Many of the wrongful convictions are from years, decades ago where the forensic evidence was nowhere near as advanced as today. Oh and the system was racist as well (i.e. all white jury's etc). These days, convictions are deemed to be beyond reasonable doubt and with the sophisticated and accurate methods used to collect evidence I will go with that. I repeat, if someone is convicted of the most heinous crimes they deserve the harshest punishment possible.
So you're saying if "Jihadi John" was ever captured he should be rehabilitated and released back into society? Don't be so naive.
Serbia has an interesting low-cost alternative - this week a convicted mafia boss was let out of prison on "holiday". His release was announced and he was shot the next day!
My point is , that girl's family will struggle with this for the rest of their lives . The people responsible for her death should expect AT LEAST the same ......
Some people have " Difficulties " through genetic defects etc or whatever . I Do believe that some people should NOT be allowed out , though I fully admit this is very often out of their control .
Some crimes go far beyond having any rights (apart from that to life itself). Life imprisonment is the only answer for some crimes....the need to protect the public is greater than the rights of any individual guilty of a heinous crime. A true sense of sorrow and recognition of one's guilt should mean the acceptance of a lifetime's punishment (which compared to the lives of many poor people round the world is hardly punishment at all). Seeking freedom suggests they are not sorry at all, but only sorry enough to comply with the requirements for release. Catch 22.
I truly believe that even Mohammed Emwazi deserves another chance at life if he can be truly rehabilitated. I'm not arguing whether or not Emwazi is beyond rehabilitation or not - any criminal should be kept imprisoned until they are no longer a danger to society.
I believe in rehabilitation, but I am also sure there are some people who are unable to be rehabilitated. Someone who kills someone in a fight or during a crime or even kills a child with one blow can be rehabilitated and not be a danger to anyone else again, but people involved in truly dreadful crimes are so mentally damaged that it will never be safe to release them. They may convince you they are, but will never be normal again. You cannot give such people a chance...the chance of life should be given to his future innocent victims not to the killer.
That's a very noble opinion, and I can see why you might hold it. However, there are people out here in the world who are so damaged by their past that they are beyond help. Absolutely zero people are born criminals, but some are born into environments where their life programming [for want of a better phrase] regrettably turns them into a monster. I can have every sympathy for the child, which is growing in that environment, who doesn't have a hope in hell's chance of maturing into a well rounded human being. But then that child becomes the monster and I have to be more concerned about what the monster will do to innocent members of society. Hopefully, in the future, if society fully matures, and the extreme differences in chance opportunity and environment can be ironed out, everyone will get a proper chance, but that's a very long way off. Almost certainly not until everyone on the planet is warm, secure and sufficiently fed.
So if a person kills a family member of yours or even worse kills a few. You will still feel the same?
I see where Sam is coming from , and I agree with Fran that people sometimes kill on a " spur of the moment " . Those people perhaps should be treated differently , they do show remorse , and why punish someone for life if they have shown & felt true regret . It's things like the Soham murders , this case & the like where people are simply EVIL & CALLOUS & CRUEL . These people should not die , they should rot in prison , and if , on the odd occasion , the cell door is accidentally left unlocked , well ...........
