Should We Pay for Inmate's Cancer Treatments?

[public servant]

Make them work for medical coverage and extra money.

They should be working for everything they get. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that.

Prison should be such a terrible place no one ever wants to go back. But God forbid it should actually be used as punishment. It's difficult to reform anyone when the consequences to your actions allow you to live at least semi-comfortably with more perks and frills than many people on the outside have.

 

[public servant]

I will say it again; "There is no such thing as a throw away person"

And this, my friend, is where we'll disagree. The world is full of vile, savage beasts that their only good contribution to society would be as fertilizer.

 

[badwolf.usmc]

They should be working for everything they get. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that.

Prison should be such a terrible place no one ever wants to go back. But God forbid it should actually be used as punishment. It's difficult to reform anyone when the consequences to your actions allow you to live at least semi-comfortably with more perks and frills than many people on the outside have.

I've changed my opinion over the years on what prison should be. While i still believe that it should serve as punishment, i also believe that it should try to rehabilitate inmates and help them have an opportunity at something when they get out. It is cheaper in the long run to teach an inmate a skill or trade, or have them talk to a psychiatrist than to keep them locked up forever or to keep throwing them back in prison.

 

[goinggreyfast]

And this, my friend, is where we'll disagree. The world is full of vile, savage beasts that their only good contribution to society would be as fertilizer.

Yes, it is full of them. Both inside and out. Look, I understand what you are saying and in many cases you speak truth. BUT: I have witnessed with my own two eyes some of those "vile, savage beasts" turning their lives around and are currently on the outside as a productive members of society.

I cannot and will not get into that debate here, but I know there are "forces" available for any man to call on that will "transform them by the renewing of their minds" I have seen it happen. Just as these people have made choices to do terribly bad things, we have to at least give them an opportunity to make that choice to do the right thing. Until then, they are not a "throw away" in my book.

 

[public servant]

I've changed my opinion over the years on what prison should be. While i still believe that it should serve as punishment, i also believe that it should try to rehabilitate inmates and help them have an opportunity at something when they get out. It is cheaper in the long run to teach an inmate a skill or trade, or have them talk to a psychiatrist than to keep them locked up forever or to keep throwing them back in prison.

I don't disagree that every convict should be give the opportunity to rehabilitate. I also know that many cannot be and many more do not want to be.

At some point in time society needs to realize this. Murder, rape and child molesting are generally not first crime of violence a person is sent to prison for. Generally they have had the opportunity to rehabilitate. Most often several opportunities.

I believe society is only responsible to offer them the opportunity and the tools to rehabilitate. It is not our job to rehabilitate them. See the difference?

"Damnit horse...don't you see this water?"

 

[bigg cheese]

Just for the record, I prefer "Monday Night Rehabilitation" hosted by Beef Supreme.

That said, I think anyone not serving a life sentence or set for execution deserves a chance to turn around. The big thing for me is who foots the bill.

 

[UncleMike]

I don't disagree that every convict should be give the opportunity to rehabilitate. I also know that many cannot be and many more do not want to be.

At some point in time society needs to realize this.

I personally know two men who've learned their lesson from their time in Prison and have been model Citizens since their release.
I also know many others who have never showed the least bit of remorse for the grief that they have visited on innocent people.
The latter types need to be put away for life, or put down, like the animals that they are!!
On a brighter note, a couple of true career criminals that I've had dealings with were killed by their fellow miscreants.
Poetic justice at it's best.

 

[public servant]

The big thing for me is who foots the bill.

Unfortunately...generally we have already been footing the bill before they were incarcerated.

 

[badwolf.usmc]

I believe society is only responsible to offer them the opportunity and the tools to rehabilitate. It is not our job to rehabilitate them. See the difference?

While i agree there are some people who are just too evil to be allowed in general society, thus the reason why i support the death penalty, many people are in prison are not evil, they have made some bad decisions in their life. That is no excuse for the crimes they committed, but research has shown that when education and training is offered to those who are willing to take it they are less likely to commit future crimes.

As a society, we tend to isolate those who have been in jail. Many employers won't hire ex-convicts, they have a hard time getting into college and trade schools & programs, and almost no chance of getting aid money to attend those programs and schools they can get into. So they pay for their crimes in jail, and then afterwards with no real opportunity to change their lives. You can always find exceptions to this, but that is what they are, exceptions. It isn't surprising that people who have been to jail return to petty crime as a means to get by.