I wish there was a realistic way to reform how we incarcerate people in this country. If you get arrested, your life is basically over (automatically excluded from a large number of job opportunities, many forms of higher education, etc). What incentive is there for someone recently released to become a law abiding citizen when they've been barred from the vast majority of means to better themselves?

The fact they went to jail in the first place meant they probably weren't in a safe nurturing environment, and now, having a criminal record just placed even MORE restrictions on what they can do in life. Hell they probably feel more "free"/respected in jail, since the people in jail probably respect them for "street cred" or whatever the hell it is gangs are into these days further perpetuating gang culture in their life.

I wish there was a realistic way to reform how we incarcerate people in this country. If you get arrested, your life is basically over (automatically excluded from a large number of job opportunities, many forms of higher education, etc). What incentive is there for someone recently released to become a law abiding citizen when they've been barred from the vast majority of means to better themselves?

The fact they went to jail in the first place meant they probably weren't in a safe nurturing environment, and now, having a criminal record just placed even MORE restrictions on what they can do in life. Hell they probably feel more "free"/respected in jail, since the people in jail probably respect them for "street cred" or whatever the hell it is gangs are into these days further perpetuating gang culture in their life.

Tell me you're a progressive liberal without telling me you're a progressive liberal

is six flags cheap? I thought parking + tickets made six flags pricey. How do all these kids have $50+ to spend?

Why would a business owner wish to hire someone who's been arrested for retail theft, robbery, burglary, etc?

Why would a school, or anything involving our youth, ever hire someone who's committed crimes against children???

Tell me you're a progressive liberal without telling me you're a progressive liberal

Incarceration with the intent for rehabilitation will kill the cash flow that private prisons make from inmates, then there's the prison labor exploitation.


With that being said, you are right. Agreed. What you're saying is doable but greed and people just as bad as the criminals they incarcerate are in control.

I don't claim to have the solution, thats why I said I wished there was a way to reform how we incarcerate people.

These people are just released after a given amount of time just as angry as they were when they were first locked up. That doesn't fix their problem. In fact, it makes the more prone to not only more crime, but more violent crime.

For example some 18 year old that is arrested for having too much mj in his car. Ten years later at 28 that arrest will still haunt him in the form of employment rejections. What incentive does he have to "do good" when society itself has barred him from success?

I'm genuinely asking you because I know that Criminal Justice its more your forte.

The system is either broken, or running exactly as intended since we have "For-Profit" Prisons in this country and it relies on the lives of people being ruined so they become a part of the prison population.

is six flags cheap? I thought parking + tickets made six flags pricey. How do all these kids have $50+ to spend?

Who's getting ten years for weed???

What the hell is the point of the punishment of incarceration if it just creates permanent criminals out of people especially if convicted of a non-violent offense?

Who's getting ten years for weed???

Easy question with an easy answer. Incarceration protects productive members of society by having criminals locked up and not terrorizing the rest of us. Re: recidivism, they were going to be lifelong criminals anyway

but it doesn't. They get out of jail and just commit more (often times more violent) crime.

not even going to entertain the partisan bullcht. I'm sick of it.

read post #45 for further clarification.

If you think the way we incarcerate people is "just fine" you're not paying attention. What the hell is the point of the punishment of incarceration if it just creates permanent criminals out of people especially if convicted of a non-violent offense?

Most of this boils down to chit ass education, fail parenting, and a culture that is too free and too lax. It sounds insane and unAmerican, and not to go full dictator mode here, but you really need to break the people in. People are not born civilized. They are made to be civil and social via coercion. That doesn't necessarily mean beating the crap out of your kids, but from the ground up, at an early age, parents and teachers should impose a strict, disciplined, and rigorous lifestyle on the children. You really need people to be conditioned from an early age to understand that acting out will be harshly retaliated against. This is something Americans largely do not do, and it is a thing mostly unique about us. In no other country will you find well fed, clothed, and housed people behave in such an unruly manner when gathered into a mob. There are too many little things to go into about fixing all of this, ranging from employment, drug policies, social support, policing and how it is done, incarceration, public education, exposure to violent media, propaganda and indoctrination to socialize people, etc. But basically, all aspects of life that affect parenting and childhood are places to target. I mean, this wouldn't ever happen in a totalitarian dystopia, but life wouldn't be as fun. You probably wouldn't have crowds gathering at theme parks. Instead, people would be studying or working.

We used to have theme parks and not have things like this happen. But we used to also have a more equal society, with fewer people incarcerated or on drugs, and people had grown up with stricter harsher parents and more parental attention. We don't have to turn into a totalitarian hellscape, but we do need to move closer in that direction and away from the "I do what I want!" mentality, which BTW is a feature of both left and right wing people in this country. Look at how the right threw a tantrum to defy covid rules. Same kind of thing. This "I do what I want" attitude is the issue. It needs to be beaten out of the population.

We should lessen sentencing for non-violent offenses

Brah your leaning too progressive here

There’s already virtually no sentencing for non violent offenses, how much lower can they go

I make an exception for retail theft. Especially organized retail theft.

So moving forward anyone committing retail theft over let's say $50 should be imprisoned for life imo. I just want much harsher sentencing for violent crime.

so, an 18 year old steals a video game (which retail for about $60) from a Gamestop and they go to jail for life?

It is cultural indoctrination. Starts very early at home. Parents strongly force their kids to have discipline, obey, and study.

Most of this boils down to chit ass education, fail parenting, and a culture that is too free and too lax . It sounds insane and unAmerican, and not to go full dictator mode here, but you really need to break the people in. People are not born civilized. They are made to be civil and social via coercion. That doesn't necessarily mean beating the crap out of your kids, but from the ground up, at an early age, parents and teachers should impose a strict, disciplined, and rigorous lifestyle on the children. You really need people to be conditioned from an early age to understand that acting out will be harshly retaliated against. This is something Americans largely do not do, and it is a thing mostly unique about us.

Yes, of course. That will curb stealing immediately and we can live in a better society. Stupid pos shouldn't be stealing. It's not that hard not to steal.

Yes, of course. That will curb stealing immediately and we can live in a better society. Stupid pos shouldn't be stealing. It's not that hard not to steal.

Surely you realize how ridiculous that sounds?