Blog Entry #13: Improving the Criminal Justice/Prison Systems

I also think our criminal justice/prison systems would be a lot better off if we took a more educational (versus a punitive) approach.  In the case of violent crimes, I think incarceration is important to maintain the safety of the public, but when it comes to some nonviolent crimes (especially drugs), I think we should be investing more in rehabilitation than in punishment.  More often than not, the people we are imprisoning need help, not to be locked up, where they often have access to drugs even more readily than on the streets.  Education, compassion, and rehabilitation are key, in my opinion.

Comments

  1. Stefany -

    I think you make a strong and valid point regarding your suggestion on how to handle nonviolent crimes like drug crimes. I think investing more in rehabilitation would help people work towards breaking the habit and clean up their life, which would keep them out of the system. Most of them time people who are involved in drugs tend to have an addiction they can't break and they don't have someone helping to pull them out. If our criminal system focused more on looking for a solution for nonviolent crimes rather than just tossing people in jail, maybe this would help pull them away from the toxic environment that keeps their habit going.

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