Life-sentence prisoners ‘should get in-cell telephones’ (and Skype, own menus, etc)

Sleeper12

Deleted User wrote:

). 12 years is the average life sentence? Jesus. Why don't they rename it?

Those statics are out of date. Average life sentence now is 15 years. Still not exactly life.

As already pointed out you can only ever be released on license. If you loose a job, become homeless you can be whipped back to jail let alone if you reoffend.

I wouldnt give phones in cells but at the moment they get a ten minute phone call per day. I would increase this to three or four calls per day. These can be with held if prisoner doesn't toe the line

Mountainsandh

They should have more punishment than reform

Peregrinus wrote: »

Why?

Because when you commit a serious crime, you become part and parcel of a community that is used as a deterrent to the rest of society. Don't like it ? Don't commit such serious crime in the first place.
Many people make choices with lifelong consequences that they simply have to take responsibility for. Society has no obligation to soften the blow, and criminals have signed in to a life of being held as an example.

Indeed there is no point in long sentences if they cannot be illustrative of what happens when you commit a serious crime.

I would be wary of alleged studies showing deterrent effect does not justify strong sentencing.

Mountainsandh

They should have more punishment than reform

Grayson wrote: »

Except every murder is different. You could have a woman who's been beaten every day for years. She then lashes out at the husband one day. You could have someone defending themselves. You could have someone taking revenge for the death of a loved one. You could have someone killing a spouse because they don't want to be married. Hannah Arendt talked about the intentionality of the action rather than the action itself. Why someone killed is as important as the fact that they killed.

Each of those scenarios is different and we need to be able to adapt to the situation as it arises. I do think there are people who are currently beyond rehabilitation. The criminally insane for want of a better word. But there are others who could be rehabilitated. A blanket sentence on everyone for the same crime doesn't make sense.

And all of the above will bear a rightful weight in sentencing.
The discussion here as I see it discusses post sentencing conditions.

Graces7

NinetyTwoTeam wrote: »

Its fine to say they shouldn't have this or that but you've likely never ran a prison, it's much easier to deal with inmates who are not both bored and angry about the conditions.

and after doing a long stretch most of the criminals are much older and less likely to commit a similar offense, but for the victims and families of the victims it must be sickening when the person is released.

but it's a money saving thing, that's all. it should be minimum 20 years for life though IMO.

Maybe watch some youtube items re prison life.. See the reality

RDM_83 again

Mountainsandh wrote: »

.

I would be wary of alleged studies showing deterrent effect does not justify strong sentencing.

I would be wary too of a lot of the the figures used that show that Norway's model actually bas incredibly effective as supporters say. Have a long post on this will put up later which I wrote with links but internet sh-t the bed last evening will put up later but basically Norway's recidivism rate is actually anywhere between 9-60% not a firm 20% (60% being the figure used by statistics Norway)

screamer

The should have more reform than punishment

If that be the case they'd actually have more in prison than they have outside of it. Together with food a bed to sleep in etc I know of people who used to call prison a holiday camp. So let's incentivise it some more...sure why not.

Mountainsandh

They should have more punishment than reform

RDM_83 again wrote: »

I would be wary too of a lot of the the figures used that show that Norway's model actually bas incredibly effective as supporters say. Have a long post on this will put up later which I wrote with links but internet sh-t the bed last evening will put up later but basically Norway's recidivism rate is actually anywhere between 9-60% not a firm 20% (60% being the figure used by statistics Norway)

Whatever side they are biased to represent, it is so easy to publish studies with statistics sometimes comparing apples to oranges, that I would take any such with a grain of salt.

In my field (education) misleading statistics and studies abound, and can be used to spin pretty much any flavour of the day theory.

In the case of crimes or lack thereof, you would be attempting to prove a point on why something didn't happen that didn't happen, and was not committed by a cohort of people who do not fit the profile (criminal) that they would have fit had it been committed.

All we can do is use logic : human beings can reason, and human beings in a society must understand the concept of rights and responsibilities. Punishment and deterrents are simple ways human beings understand to curb wrong behaviour.

Pinch Flat

Yeah maybe Egyptian cotton sheets and organic food from the donnybrook fair as well. I’ve heard the bedding and food offering are two of the bug bears of prison life.