Philosophy Discussion Forums

So if someone was to say rape your mom/daughter you would be happy for them to just receive psychiatric treatment?

We need serious reform. Only violent offenders should be imprisoned. Why are we turning non-violent offenders into potentially violent offenders by locking them up with those who are violent? In addition, why are we taking many who could be productive members of society and making them dependents? Going along with this is that fact that we criminalize many activities that are essentially victimless crimes. Besides the injustice of what we are doing, we just can't afford it either.

Hi Scott.

Yes, I do think society needs prisons. I would agree that non-violent non-victimizers shouldn't go to jail, and the mentally ill should be treated instead. As for incidental criminals, I guess a lenient and compassionate judge will do, but there are criminals out there who do belong behind bars. I'm certainly no judge of what goes on in other people's heads, but psychopaths and gang bangers and people who simply enjoy hurting others need to be locked up. I do think that education and equality and philanthropic efforts can over time reduce crime but as it is some people just don't belong on the streets.

Not sure if this is true, but as I understand it prisons were invented as "correctional facilities" by the Quakers, to help people instead of punishing them as in execution or dungeons. Prisons today of course are a far cry from that, and solitary confinement, for example, I consider torture, never mind the violence among the prisoners themselves. But I would rather look at prison reform than prison removal.

Peace.

Blake 789 wrote:So if someone was to say rape your mom/daughter you would be happy for them to just receive psychiatric treatment?

Do you think they law should be based on whatever would make you feel happy/unhappy? Or should it be directed at enabling the society as a whole to develop its concepts of acceptable behaviour?

Don't imprison drug dealers and incorrigible drug users - execute them instead. What the world needs is more heroes like President Rodrigo Duterte of the Phillipines.

Incidentally, Karl Marx believed that if his ideas were adopted, there would be no need for police, prisons or even governments. An idiotic dreamer, par excellence.

I say of all criminals: kill them all and let God decide. If they're innocent they'll go to heaven. It's win-win.

Dolphin42 wrote:I say of all criminals: kill them all and let God decide. If they're innocent they'll go to heaven. It's win-win.

You are undeniably a genius.
But unfortunately it's not an original idea - I remember an IRA terrorist who had this tattoo: "Kill 'em all! Let God sort them out."

But unfortunately it's not an original idea

Indeed. And it isn't just Christian terrorists who have had this idea. Daesh had the idea too. And also Marge Simpson, in fact.

There is nothing new under the sun (including the expression "There is nothing new under the sun").

It is a bit comical to listen to folks comment on what should happen to lawbreakers, as if there were people who don't break laws.

Dolphin42 wrote:

But unfortunately it's not an original idea

Indeed. And it isn't just Christian terrorists who have had this idea. Daesh had the idea too. And also Marge Simpson, in fact.

There is nothing new under the sun (including the expression "There is nothing new under the sun").

The suckers that make up Daesh were made an offer that few feeble-minded men could refuse: Kill 'em all and you'll get 72 virgins - plus a set of steak knifes.

I thought you'd remind me that the expression "there is nothing new under the sun" is Biblical.

Anyway, at my time of life, I'll take the steak knives.

Dolphin42 wrote:I thought you'd remind me that the expression "there is nothing new under the sun" is Biblical.

No need ... everyone knows it's one of King Solomon's.

Anthony Edgar wrote: Incidentally, Karl Marx believed that if his ideas were adopted, there would be no need for police, prisons or even governments. An idiotic dreamer, par excellence.

First time I hear Karl Marx was a Libertarian. (-;

A society without deterrents would be awful. I believe a huge chunk of what we call "human decency" is just the fear of punishment, so to give up prisons is to give up a lot of behaviour

This is one of those things (like many others) that put an extreme separation between other humans and me in my mind and make me feel very alone. An a little mad.

0.Better not talking about how laws are there, better not talking about lawyers and their... duty to lie? about all that anoying books etc.

1. Society don't exist, we don't think the same. Laws, votes, etc, are something that I don't recognize as logical, if everybody think that something is fair, and I don't, then I must keep fighting for what I believe. Specially if we are dealing with things like... the life of a person. Of course, not with a paper.

2.Of course, people are not equal, and of course, they don't deserve the same punishment for the same action. The context and what they've shown in all their life is nearly all.

3.As a punishment (something needed) put a human in a jail is extremely ridiculous. Specially if you consider that puting a "bad psichology person" with all "society crap" in a place with nothing to do, and without freedom, is going to make him a better person. And, for my taste, it's more cruel than cuting a hand and other things like that (Or, if we consider prison for life, death would be mercy).

4.As a way to put someone out of your way, it's... absurd. That person needs to eat jails need to be built and protected... it's a lot of resources.
...

etc. It's so evident for me that I don't know what to say.