Silk Road forums
Discussion => Philosophy, Economics and Justice => Topic started by: MixM8 on December 04, 2012, 02:08 pm
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The USA is the most incarcerated nation in the world, yet many citizens decry our judges as being too lax on criminals who are mainly non-violent. It is obvious that we have a nation of people crying out for longer, harsher sentences who have never experienced jail or prison themselves, from politicians to LEO to judges. The problem is that Judges, who we trust to deliver appropriate sentences, actually have no idea of the fairness of their sentence at all beyond their preconceived notions of prison.
I was watching TV the other day, and a former prosecutor was giving the camera crew a tour of the prison facility in which he now resided for a child sex offense.. He said: "It's very disconcerting being locked up with people you helped put away. Also, if I had known this is what it (prison) was like, I never would have doled out such harsh sentences to people."
Should individuals responsible for sentencing have to endure a short sentence of a fortnight or so? What benefit would it have on disproportionate sentencing in relation to the crime?
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I think this is an excellent idea. Often the people handing out sentences have no idea what the lives of those stood before them are like. My probation officer ( a small, prim slightly feminine man who had the irritating habit of nodding and saying " yes, yes" slightly too often when you were talking, giving the impression he wasn't really listening) told me that in the UK only long serving barristers can become judges. But the only way to become a barrister ( rather than a solicitor) is to work for free at a law firm to get experience. Thus ( like a lot of better careers these days) it is only open to those able to support themselves during this period, and so is only open to the wealthy ("Justice in England is open to everyone.... like the Ritz hotel")
So judges in this country tend to come from the privileged upper ranks of our society. I think it would be very useful to make them aware of what the sentences they hand down are really like for the recipients.
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This sounds like a splendid idea. I hate how judges and prosecutors callously condemn good people to prison for years when they haven't spent a day in such a hellish environment. Down with the tyrants.
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Oh yeah, it must. But maybe it's impossible altogether.
Because if they had such experience they wouldn't be doing what they do.
Ignorance is bliss for them.. For me that's suicide..
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Perhaps it would help them understand a bit of it.
On the other hand, being imprisonment for s few weeks with a certainty to got out of it is not at all comparable to spending the majority of your life under such conditions.
If this were to be a test before becoming a judge, i think the prospect of that income and status as a promise after enduring a few weeks of hardship would be enough to enspirit someone to just endure the experience knowing what wealth it will yield just a few weeks after.
It lacks the despair for long term imprisonment i suppose. Several years of imprisonment will change a person. I;m pretty sure it would bring about the worst in someone. If i were to be imprisoned for a decade i'm quite sure i'd be hellbent on revenge. Such environments brings out the best capabilities in the worst of people.
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This sounds like a splendid idea. I hate how judges and prosecutors callously condemn good people to prison for years when they haven't spent a day in such a hellish environment. Down with the tyrants.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this