You have made a lot of sense her @georgechuks. @velimir. I enjoyed the post. Its a great one. And the topic is really crucial only if our government could look deeply into it.
To answer you question, there are other alternatives being employed to better effect in other countries. One option is to give first time offenders substantial custodial sentences for relatively minor offence, with almost all of it being suspended. The criminal serves a very short period, perhaps only a couple of weeks, in fairly harsh conditions. This can usually be served without disrupting employment, earning capability etc, which is a significant factor in reoffending. It also makes the offender aware of whats in store in the event of reoffending. In tandem, community based programmes involving victim awareness, causes of offending behaviour etc would help to identify, and hopefully reduce, the risk that the deterrent is ineffective in and of itself. In countries where this kind of approach is adopted, reoffending rates are significantly lower than in the UK, and fewer people are in prison. I believe Italy, for example, suspends all first time custodial sentences, except in the case of violent or sexual crimes.
I hope i answered your question. Thank you @velimir for providing the room for this interaction
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Thanks for the helpful reply.
I think that we really have it backwards on this issue. We are missing a huge opportunity. We are warehousing people, punishing them and returning them to our society worse off than when we got them. I think our goal should be ultimately to help turn people's lives around -- but we are not treating our prisoners that way right now. There is a reason why America has incarceration rates that are seven times higher than our European allies and murder rates that are ten times higher. We are putting people in prison, many times, for non-violent crimes and turning them out more violent and dangerous than when they went in.
Interesting point @nancy7819 I wasn't aware of this. Maybe our civilization becomes human, after all :)
I like your poste thanks