I have never understood how twenty years in prison ever taught anyone anything except how to be better criminals. You can learn to operate on a persons brain in less time. Wouldn't the money spent on imprisoning people be better spent educating them? Or actually rehabilitating them? I am not saying that when someone does something wrong that they shouldn't be accountable for it but putting people in a horrible environment only makes for more horrible people.

How do you help them?

Can not help the one who doesn't want to be helped.


...which was your point, I guess, lol.

I am not saying that there is a better way right now. And certainly when a crime is commited then there must be some sort of accountability for it. But my point is that prison just doesn't work. These men go in for decades all the while producing nothing for society. So maybe now is the time to look for better ways to rehabilitate people and make them productive. First we could start by finding out why they committed their crimes and deal with the reasons they are in there. And I agree some people just have that certain personality the guarantees them time in the pen. It is just so wasteful to imprison people.

The chain gang idea sounds good. Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona makes prisoners wear PINK, and feeds them (literally) just bread and water.

The liberals and ACLUers tried going after him a few times, but he still reigns supreme! I have no problem with his approach as long as the people in his prison are there because they really did do a crime:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio

We need Sheriff Joe in Philadelphia, that's for damn sure!