Restorative Justice System.....

[VenomJockey]

Today's prison/sentencing system doesn't work, and rehabilitates no one. How about we switch to a "restorative justice" system? Require the bad guy to compensate the victim(s), pay court costs, the appointed attorney's fee, and charge the guy $100 a week "room & board."

Make sure he gets a job simply by giving him one of those city/county jobs that have been advertised for weeks and no one wants....garbage man, for example. If there was "bodily harm" during commission of the crime, use a sliding scale (like the insurance companies do) to determine what compensation is due. If the crime involved a death, then give the guy the death penalty.

The "Restorative Justice System" would take a lot of planning and tweaking, but I believe it would work, and certainly that it would be better than what we are doing at present.

 

[DrHenley]

Make sure he gets a job simply by giving him one of those city/county jobs that have been advertised for weeks and no one wants....garbage man, for example.

425 inmates from the county jail here work sanitation and on city maintenance crews.

 

[TexasFreedom]

I'm 100% behind the 'punish and release' method. Beat, caning, whipping, breaking bones or cutting of body parts. All of those leave far-longer-reaching impacts than any prison. I hear guys talking about what crime to commit to get locked up just through winter and be out for the good weather in Spring. If a dude looses a segment of a finger every time he robs, soon enough he'll realize that his fingers are worth more than my stuff.

 

[JackDW]

Ven0m, how do you to handle it when there is NO victim. I have a son, who had ONE pill in his pocket (actually was his wife's but took the charge). Not one bottle but one single pill. Was a felony charge and his only one ever (before or after). All sentencing guideline quotes probation only since it was his first offence. But, he is not a minority and they need to fill a quota at the jail to balance the minority population so he was sent to jail. By the time we fired the incompetent attorney and got an appealed filed (months), his sentence was up.

In cases like that, where does the "restorative justice" come into play. I agree that this is an exception but it does happen especially if you end up in a court system that uses private jails in which the judges hold interest.

 

[VenomJockey]

Ven0m, how do you to handle it when there is NO victim. I have a son, who had ONE pill in his pocket (actually was his wife's but took the charge). Not one bottle but one single pill. Was a felony charge and his only one ever (before or after). All sentencing guideline quotes probation only since it was his first offence. But, he is not a minority and they need to fill a quota at the jail to balance the minority population so he was sent to jail. By the time we fired the incompetent attorney and got an appealed filed (months), his sentence was up.

In cases like that, where does the "restorative justice" come into play. I agree that this is an exception but it does happen especially if you end up in a court system that uses private jails in which the judges hold interest.

Well, that' s a very good question....what to do when there is NO victim. Obviously, this is one area where a bit of planning and tweaking would be necessary. The scenario you describe likely happens quite a lot. The "reverse discrimination" happens quite a lot, as well. And many judges have an interest in "private jails." There WAS a "victim," however....your SON was the "victim."

 

[TexasFreedom]

Each law is there for a reason. Someone/somewhere/something is damaged, and as VJ pointed out, sometimes it's self-inflicted.

Note that I'm not saying each punishment should be permanent. A nice bruise the first time for dumb stuff (steal a candy bar), the equivalent of a swat back in school (but leaving a bruise that will last a week or so). But the more crimes committed and the bigger they are, the more permanent the punishment.

 

[GaRp58]

I wish the Germans would finally get their heads out of their collective four-point-contact. They have a "vacation" law here which allows the prisoners to go home and visit their families once a year. You're doing time for murder or rape. You are supposed to be locked away from hurting the public. You are supposed to feel the damned isolation, coldness, dislike, public disgrace and lack of understanding, AND THEN. The local psychologist decides you have learned your lesson and deserve a VACATION. You get some free time, a taxi, some civvies and a week at home. NO cops, NO watching, NO NOTHING. Do not ask how many of these sons-a-bitches have commited another rape or other felony ON VACATION...Live free, (and shoot a convict doing anything) GP