jenkinsfan put me down as a b
During the late 80’s Thatcher and her cronies looked at US models for answers to criminal jutice issues, just as she looked to the US for inspiration about state controlled industries.
A great deal of it was a failure but some of it worked, it’s too soon to say on others things.
One thing that caught their eye was the ‘three strikes’ rule which is only now actually starting to take effect since qualifying offences only started counting once the legislation was passed somewhat later, and then it has taken several years for the criminals to accumulate the requisite offences.
In fact three strikes is a misnomer as it is possible to get a life sentence after 2 strikes but not all is as it seems.
In the UK a ‘life sentence’ does not usually mean life incarceration though of course it can.
What it does mean is that the offender will have a minimum time to serve before their first parole shout, varies from 4 years in rare cases to the more usual 8-12 years but there is every liklihood of a refusal first time around.
When the offender is released however things are very differant, any breach of parole conditions which are now deemed to last for life, such as further offences right down to failure to report to the probation officer, live at an approved address etc and the offender can be returned to jail without any further recourse to the courts, apart from the re-arrest warrant.
The idea appears to be that multiple offenders have such a predictable pattern of behaviour that they will commit further offences, therefore why go through the whole trial system.
I’m surprised that someone has quoted a figure of only 1/3 of offenders in jail for drugs offences, it seems low to me, we usually include other offences such as burglary and robbery etc - anything that might be considered directly caused by the need to either obtain money for drugs or the violence inherant in the drug world itself.
I would say that the figure in the UK is at least 70% and possibly as high as 85%.
One could cite many causes for the rise in prison populations such as family unit breakup(1 in 3 marriages end up in divorce) breakdown in social morals, unemployment etc but one thing is certain, the increase in length of sentence is bound to see a corresponding increase in prison numbers.
If you go back in history to the British days of transportation, there was a view that criminals were a class just as there were working class, middle class etc. This provided early Victorians with the justification for shipping out offenders as a total solution to crime, get rid of the criminal class and all you have left a law abiding population.Needless to say this was incredibly simplistic but it is a direction that right-wingers have tried to drag us for generations.
For the most part it is hard to see how an undereducated unskilled individual is ever going to be employable, which is what prisoners are for the most part.Compulsory grade school education for all prisoners below a certain standard should be a priority, prison education standards are geared in a large part to a very low level by necessity but often prisoners place very little value on education, it’s ‘not cool’ to be seen trying to learn. They are so inadequate that they are worried about how they appear to other prisoners.
Drug gangs believe they are untouchable and in reality they appear that way to impressionable young minds, great role models eh ?
If we are to talk of rehabilitation then there must be a powerful element of coercion, simply releasing an offender after a set period is not likely to work, indeed it does not.
Proper rehabilitation in the shorter term is possibly more expensive than prison, but, in my opinion, is better not only for the offender but also their children and society generally. I often see fathers/sons in jail along with others in their families.
Before release every prisoner should be able to demonstrate their drug free status, being tested literally every two days at least, for a minimum of maybe six months to a year.If that cannot be done then there is absolutely no point in letting them out.
Now you might think that is a tad unfair on drug-users compared to other offenders but fact is these are the ones who will reoffend - almost guarunteed.
All offenders on release must be employed and hold that job down, I would suggest that these are modelled on prison industry workshops only with realistic wages and production, you may think that these people should have a choice of employment, I do not, as far as I am concerned they are still serving their time, but in open society.
If they cannot hold their job down then they should be returned to prison until they can.
Spending money on prisoners is never likely to be a vote winner, much of the electorate thinks simplistically - lock 'em up and leave 'em to rot, deterrant, revenge and punishment.
Look at the rising population in prison, look at the increased jail terms, look at the cost.
Sure if we lock enough people up crime will go down but how much do you want to pay in taxes ? What a waste of human potential.
I have met people who come to look at British prisons and they are surprised, especially the US visitors, at how ‘polite’ we are. Maybe it is something in our character but I generally find Americans to be loud, sorry if this is stereotyping(which it is), and their speech patterns challenging and agressive.
Every question is less a search for an answer than an interrogation.
Maybe US society is a ‘winner takes all’ one, I cannot say but it fits in with my bigoted prejudices rather too neatly.
Oh, and yes I have been to the US and found it to be right in my face, no half measures at all which is ok for a fortnights holidays but rather wearing and stressful beyond that.
Sorry if this last offends anyone I’m sure you can find some flaw in the British character but the OP was wondering why the US jails so many folk maybe its partly national character.
