anarch
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Fri Jan-13-06 12:54 PM
Original message |
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Edited on Fri Jan-13-06 01:08 PM by anarch
Is this something that will ever be given serious consideration, or will it always be thought of as a stupid and crazy idea?
I mean abolition of the entire prison system, and the adoption of some less oppressive way of dealing with society's problems.
Every time I bring this up with anyone IRL, they look at me like I am completely insane.
:hippie:
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JVS
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Fri Jan-13-06 12:58 PM
Response to Original message |
1. You'd have to phase in your alternative over a period of time. |
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otherwise you'd invite chaos. So what's your plan, exile people to Alaska?
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anarch
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Fri Jan-13-06 01:06 PM
Response to Reply #1 |
3. I'm open to suggestions... |
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Yeah, it's always at the "so what's your plan?" stage that I sort of give up...you're right that it would have to be done by phases. I guess in general, I'd plan on decriminalizing a whole lot of things that people get locked up for now *cough*drugs*coughcough*, and then by imposing fines or other restitution on people who commit crimes against others, instead of just locking them up. Starting like that, you'd eliminate all but the truly violent offenders from the prisons...them, I dunno. Not Alaska, though.
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JVS
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Fri Jan-13-06 01:09 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
5. Criminal offenses should be exiled to Alaska, drug offenses to Florida |
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That way we can keep the groovy party away from violence. :-)
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datasuspect
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Fri Jan-13-06 01:08 PM
Response to Reply #1 |
4. the system makes borderline people more dangerous |
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and completely "institutionalizes" the far gone.
i've had interaction with many felons (drug crimes/murder/felony assault types). they are a scary bunch, but lots of them were more decent than people i worked with in offices.
in a strange way, the convict has a more innate sense of what is "fair" than the average "citizen" does.
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Radical Activist
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Fri Jan-13-06 12:59 PM
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2. Most people will never take it seriously. |
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Edited on Fri Jan-13-06 12:59 PM by Radical Activist
No matter how much you deal with societal problems, there will always be dangerous people. The people I've heard advocate for this are socialists/marxists who want to believe that all of societies problems can be solved by making the economic system more fair or making other systemic changes, but they fail to address that often criminal behavior has nothing to do with societal inequalities.
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anarch
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Fri Jan-13-06 01:15 PM
Response to Reply #2 |
6. well, I think they refuse to believe that it isn't somehow related |
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to a class struggle, or some kind of inequality that is endemic in our so-called capitalist system.
I tend to agree with you, though. I think there will always be people consumed by greed, or just inherently violent or severely sociopathic or whatever, and that doesn't really have anything to do with social inequality...look at George Bush: a privileged child if there ever was one, and still he turned out to be a thief and a murderer.
I mean, I don't want to just let violent criminals run loose in our society...it's just that something about imprisonment offends me on a very basic level.
I didn't say I had a solution....
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Radical Activist
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Fri Jan-13-06 01:20 PM
Response to Reply #6 |
7. I think its much easier |
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to make arguments against the prison system if its not part of an argument to abolish the system. There's too much social programming and fear that goes on to convince people we need prisons. We may never get rid of them, but there might be a decent chance that we can make the system much, much smaller than it is now.
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anarch
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Fri Jan-13-06 01:21 PM
Response to Reply #7 |
8. that's undoubtedly the way to start n/t |
Burma Jones
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Fri Jan-13-06 01:30 PM
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9. The Last Time we had no Prisons |
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You would be hanged for stealing. Or set ablaze for being a smart-ass.
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anarch
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Fri Jan-13-06 01:36 PM
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10. well, there is that... |
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I'd like to believe we can do a little better in the future.
I know, I'm too idealistic. But what the hell? Let's have an end to war and all forms of domestic oppression while we're at it.
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Burma Jones
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Fri Jan-13-06 02:05 PM
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12. Well, I'm with you for non-violent offenders |
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Restitution, perhaps some sort of service to the Crime Victim(s). But, violent offenders, sexual predators, pedophiles and the like should be either locked up or euthanized.
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Deep13
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Fri Jan-13-06 01:45 PM
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11. Not insane, just not realistic right now. |
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I don't know if it ever will be, but it won't be for a long time. After all, we can't even decide it it is acceptable to kill murders.
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DU
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Fri May 10th 2024, 10:15 PM
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