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Political Scales test

Lark

Active member
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
29,569
I used to be for capital punishment until I realized the degree of dishonesty and incompetence employed in the building of many cases against individuals by both law enforcement and prosecutors. One innocent person going to prison is one too many for me. But then I'm a perfectionistic prick who demands competence or get the fuck out of your job.

That could result in miscarriages of justice in the form of executions but it could result in people walking, in the UK it'd probably result in the department of public prosecutions saying that they could not be sure of a conviction on the basis of the case presented or the evidence and they therefore would not prosecute.

I've no love for the death traders and I'm glad when I hear the fate of violent offenders who are released after sentences and shot at the gate sort of thing (that's happened here at least). However, ultimately, the most important thing is that they are taken off the streets and for the duration of their incarceration are not going to be able to carry on with further and further offences.

I dont really believe in rehabilitation, in most cases anyway, its about securing convictions of criminals quickly when they are caught and therefore stopping the criminal behaviour.
 

Jaguar

Active member
Joined
May 5, 2007
Messages
20,647
I dont really believe in rehabilitation, in most cases anyway, its about securing convictions of criminals quickly when they are caught and therefore stopping the criminal behaviour.

Meet a convicted felon who became a Georgetown law professor
Shon Hopwood was serving time for armed bank robbery when he discovered he had a brilliant mind for the law. Steve Kroft reports on an improbable tale of redemption.

Shon Hopwood: Meet a convicted felon who became a Georgetown law professor - 60 Minutes - CBS News
 

Lark

Active member
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
29,569
Meet a convicted felon who became a Georgetown law professor
Shon Hopwood was serving time for armed bank robbery when he discovered he had a brilliant mind for the law. Steve Kroft reports on an improbable tale of redemption.

Shon Hopwood: Meet a convicted felon who became a Georgetown law professor - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Those stories are interesting, although interesting mainly as American experiences, like I find it interesting that depending on peoples social class and ethnic background their rite of passage could be time in the military, time in university, time in prison and its just sort of part of the life cycle or life course.

My comments are probably much more related to the UK/ROI and even in that context probably a particular population.

There's also something to be said for the old cliche that the only criminals who wind up in prison are the bad ones, the ones who fail to avoid detection, or are too chaotic to care about detection in the first place or who have become too chaotic over time.

I've known some pretty warped individuals who have looked upon possible or eventual incarceration as a retirement plan, they have connections inside and outside of the prisons who will make the stay about as punitive as working on an oil rig. I've heard others talk about people being paid the equivalent of their earnings to serve sentences for crimes they didnt commit or which they where party to but not the only one responsible. Its all way more of a sort of business transaction or administrative fix than it is anything to do with justice or behaviour modification.

The motivation of the most criminal individuals I've ever met ultimately boiled down to "because I could", seriously, I'm not even talking about the most impulsive or compulsive offenders even. Although I know this is a different situation to the one you are describing in all likelihood.
 
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