Not a typo but a deadly piece of prison terminology. It combines "threat" and "offer".
Much of what is required of us to "address our offending behaviour" (a hideous term) is voluntary. There are psychological courses intended to help us control our anger, think more clearly and reign in our deviant urges.
They are wholly voluntary. But... if you don't do them then you won't be released. This is the essence of a "throffer".
The poor sods most sharply hit by this are the innocent. Without admitting their guilt, they rarely get released because they won't do the psych courses.
Legally, they don't have to admit guilt to gain release but readers will appreciate by now that law and practice are only occasionally overlapping.
These innocent people exist in a twilight world governed by throffers. "Admit your guilt and we will let you go... do the courses, we will let you go...you don't have to do these things, of course, but if you don't..."
Throffer. Add it to your spellchecker dictionary. And file it next to "Kafka".
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Get some cells ready for the Troughers...
ReplyDeleteIn America, I saw people who could have got out of jail under similar circumstances as what you've covered here refuse to admit guilt because their value systems prohibited them from admitting to something they didn't do. They ultimately ended up with double digit sentences for "not accepting responsibility and not showing any remorse." I'm glad you touched on this because this is the system at it's most evil.
ReplyDeleteBen, what do you think the state should do to/for convicts? Not send them on anger management courses or other kinds of therapy, obviously.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with Jon.
ReplyDeleteThese situations destroy families and friends as well as prisoners.