Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins
I think the optic at play here, and at play all too often in our society, is that we have convinced ourselves that this is a "modern" problem, a result of our decaying society and moral values. I disagree. We have been encumbered with violent, recidivist criminals for the entire history of mankind. I'm not convinced it's any worse (or better) today than it has ever been. I do believe that we have dealt more effectively with them in other times and places. Our current "kid gloves" approach is, I believe, a modern phenomena. One that has become glaringly apparent to be ineffective. I think we all agree on that.
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I agree that this is an age old problem, but I disagree that we are using kid gloves on criminals. We have moved away from more barbaric methods used in the past (public hangings, floggings, stocks, etc) because (a) they don't work; and (b) they are morally unacceptable in a civilized society. I think we will eventually move away from capital punishment for the same reason--the deterrent effect is minimal, and the costs associated with a state-sponsored system of human extermination are extremely high. As I said earlier, people tend not to consider consequences of their actions when they act out of anger or fear, which is how most violent crimes occur.
But the notion that we use kid gloves on criminals is, I think, incorrect. The criminal justice system is a bear trap--once in, it is almost impossible to get out--and it's a horrible place to be. Too many enter at an early age, get branded as career criminals, and come to consider themselves as such. Small crimes become bigger crimes, and the downward spiral continues, not because we make "the life" too attractive, but because our system pretty much guarantees failure.
Other countries see to have figured this out better than we have. What can we learn from them?