What do we need to do or say so that the world rapidly decreases its rate of imprisonment, reforms the justice system (to focus on restitution and restoration), reduces sentences dramatically and sets many prisoners free?
Please share your ideas.
Meanwhile, consider:
Prison was partly justified, hundreds of years ago, when whipping and other means were used as punishment, as a better means because it was more harmful, more deterrent, more painful, more torturous and more demeaning than the corporal and other punishments then used (though there are obvious exceptions). Our ancestors understood that locking up humans for days (or weeks or months) like animals is cruel, but most of our ancestors were just cruel, so they didn't care. We are no better, overall, just more ignorant.
Prison removes countless rights that need not be removed.
We remove more and more rights from prisoners because we are judgmental and vindictive hypocrites who do not realize what double standards we have. Let's say that someday we improve technology so that everything that was ever done suddenly can be seen and proven in a court of law. Who could escape prison? Here are some laws you might have broken:
Did you ever drive in a dangerous manner? That is a crime. Distracted? On the mobile? In a heated argument? Over-tired? Inebriated? On drugs? Let's just put you in prison for a month for every occurrence. Some of us would get 100,000 years in prison. At any time our negligence could have resulted in multiple deaths. Is it just LUCK that makes you better than those in prison for vehicular homicide? YES.
Did you ever watch The Blue Lagoon or any other films like it, or read books like it? For today people are thrown in prison for YEARS for looking at images more innocent than that. Tom Sawyer, rated G, from 1972, is one of hundreds of pedo films (lets not discuss Sleepers!). For every movie or book like that, a year for all of you if you watched one just one time, another year if you possessed it, five years if you sold it at a garage sale to someone else, and so on. Those would be lenient sentences compared to the ex-teacher who got 200 years for ONLY possession (no direct harm to anyone, no molestation, no rape, only looking with his eyes at forbidden pics). If those of you around age 40 plus could remember every movie like American Beauty or The Prince of Tides (you pedos watched a rape), then you'd realize you could get 100 or more years in prison, if you cooperate and plead guilty.
In some jurisdictions, own 5 grams of a drug and you go to prison a minimum of five years. Ever try drugs? And alcohol is a drug almost as bad as almost any other drug, and much worse than many.
Ever download a movie, photo or song in violation of copyright law? Ever record anything in violation of copyright? Some of you would get 1,000 years if we could know of all of your offences.
Oh, how we rejoice that people get no mercy, but how different our tune if we are the accused!
Charles Saline
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