Thursday, May 26, 2011

Limits

The people who bleat that prisoners should have no rights never, ever take the time to state what, then, are the limits to our punishment?

So. Are we to be tortured each day? To have acid dripped in our eyes, our goolies strapped in vices? To be slowly basted in an oven and fed to dogs?

What should be the limit to punishment?

11 comments:

  1. No the punishmeent is deprived of liberty. That is enough. Tvs I thinks should be allowed to mainly let the prisoner keep in touch with outside world. Life should be life and I think ban smoking in prisons

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  2. Why ban smoking in prisons when it isn't banned in the outside world? Are there any arguments for it that don't apply equally to arguments for completely banning smoking on the outside world?

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  3. If you ban smoking in prison you provide yet another avenue for "illicit" substances to be smuggled in, be realistic. The punishment is the deprivation of liberty and that is where it must stop. Ben's post suggests torture, as a free thinking individual I wholly oppose this. What we really need to do is use prison as it was intended, to keep the dangerous away from the public. "Punishment" can be gained in other ways.

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  4. As a smoker I'm getting increasingly pissed off with being told where I can and can't smoke, there's even talk of an outdoor smoking ban, yeah right, when they ban those CO belching tin boxes of death that try to kill me when I'm out on my bike, heh.

    As for punishment, it should start and end with the loss of liberty specified by the court, anything else is just vindictive. Also, we need to move the focus back to rehabilitation, education etc. and stop farming out prisoners as cheap labour to the highest bidder.

    My 2p's worth.

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  5. Depriving someone of their liberty is the punishment a prison sentence inflicts - to then deny that person contact with books, education, activity, & decent food inflicts secondary punishment, designed only to gain favour with sanctimonious people who will never be satisfied, no matter how much punishment is inflicted.

    Justice is not served by those who curry the support of such people - but the recipients are the ones behind the pettiness that prisoners have to endure. Hypocrisy rules.
    Kate in Australia

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  6. Ooo this is a great topic!
    Ok so i live on what society would call "the wrong side of life"... I have had many partners and friends that have been criminals and locked up.

    That is their punishment.. they are locked up.

    I say, give them a tv, give them music, give them books, let them smoke, give them decent food, give them good medical attention, give them all they need to live...

    The punishment is knowing there is a world out there.. just passing them by.. they cant see loved ones when they like as we do.. they dont go and have a drink with friends like we do... they dont get to cuddle up to a special someone like we do..

    They have to sit in a box and watch life go on.. sitting in the sidelines..

    That to me is the greatest punishment.

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  7. Here here, poster above. I think the punishment is all the crap that goes WITH prison. The possible loss of a home/ job / dealing with kids / animals while your away, effect on family, and coming out with a criminal record etc.

    As someone who has done a short sentence, belive me, the above is so stressfull. But prison doesn't bother me at all. Right now, i'd love the chance to read a load of books without everyone wanting a bit of me all the time.

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  8. no mobiles or laptops for a start, what a holiday camp

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  9. Anonymous at 1.39pm, you're so right. For most, the punishment doesn't end on release, with housing problems, no job, relationship issues etc. Prison itself and these consequences should be more than enough, but sadly many people find it easier to vent their spleen on prisoners rather than remove 'the plank in their own eye', or do something to help this society we have to live in.

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  10. Huntress, earn a bit less and normal life is like the punishment you describe.

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  11. what do you think? insidemyhead1981.blogspot.com

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