This Adbusters article made me wonder
What are prisons for? More precisely, what should they be for? Should they be about punishing the perpetrator for wrong doing? Should they be about reforming criminally inclined individuals? Or should they kinda be like a grown up version of the time out chair? Are the sentences we impose supposed to act as a deterrent to crime? If so are the penalties stiff enough? On the other hand is prison really enough of a punishment anyway? Any ideas?
2 comments:
I heard a stat once that there are more mentally ill people in prison than there are in all the hospitals, instituions, etc. combined in the US (from my psych class). Thought that was really interesting, and makes me really wonder if we should be rethinking prison in terms of structure and treatment. A criminal here can have the mental capacity of a seven year old, yet be tried as an adult. Lots of ethical debates there.
I'm currently studying FAS. Apparently our prisons are littered full of individuals with FAS. They actually do very well in a prison setting because it is highly structured but release them to the real world and they are repeat criminals. Here are some stats on FAS from a site called FASworld:
95% will have mental health problems;
68% will have "disrupted school experience";
68% will experience trouble with the law;
55% will be confined in prison, drug or alcohol treatment centre or mental institution;
52% will exhibit inappropriate sexual behavior
more than 50% of males and 70% of females will have alcohol and
drug problems; 82% will not be able to live independently;
70% will have problems with employmentIndividuals with ARND Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder may look normal and have seemingly normal intelligence, but their damaged brains can result in learning disabilities, impulsivity, lying, stealing, tantrums, violence and aggression, inability to predict consequences or learn from experience, lack of conscience, and being highly addictive.
Most people with ARND look perfectly normal and are never diagnosed. Research indicates that a high percentage of homeless people, and at least 25% of juvenile and adult offenders suffer from undiagnosed FASD.
If we look at structure and treatment - there is none for those with FAS, only structure and 24 hour supervision will prevent them from reoffending because they do not have the capability to learn from their mistakes or understand consequences. There is no such thing as rehabilitation for them. However I do not believe that incarceration is the answer either. The church could be a huge asset in creating a safe place for these individuals to function as part of society but it would take TONNES of love, effort, and manpower. Unfortunately, I don't think even Jesus could transform these minds but I also don't want to limit His power either.
I think we need to be highly educated about the effects of substance abuse on unborn babies and have a compassionate response to those who are affected
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