John,
What we ask of our justice system it is indeed a gigantic burden. As far as the world goes, I'd say the system works pretty well. Not perfect... but what is? There's good and bad, but mainly good... or at least functional and justice exists in a healthy amount. Always room for improvement.
Please see my #reply-5445347 for an idea I have of a "super-prison". No TV, just printed material (no porno mags). Nothing to do but sleep, read, think, and (only) talk with others. No parole. No work. No money. No cigarettes (so much for getting it past the Kentucky senators). Three square meals a day. A cell that can be kept clean or hosed down if necessary. Complete video monitoring of the halls but not the cells. Fireproof. Good ventilation system. Once the door locks... it locks for the duration of the sentence.
I don't believe in having prisoners work. Work requires too much interaction, too much monitoring, and can be too easily used as a political tool.
I suppose "hate the sin but love the sinner" is OK... I'm not really of that opinion. Nor do I think we can balance between free guilty men and condemned innocent men. It will always be an unfortunate inevitability that innocent men will be condemned by mistake. Another significant argument against the death penalty. At least with a "super-prison" a jailed innocent man is not subjected to having to deal with guilty men except on an audio level.
It is an indication of our poor education levels that has people thinking, "Well, if he's arrested he must be guilty of something."
Greg |
