Creative Punishments

There are tramps who spend their lives sleeping on park benches or in railway stations while prisoners have a roof over their head and hot meals. Maybe some structure could be created where the criminals could become 'servants' to those poor humble tramps who, mostly not by choice, have nothing. The country-side need cleaning up. I don't mean the roadsides but those vast areas of land that no-one uses except when they are going from one place to another on long-distance trips. There is always a lot to keep clean in the cemetaries here too and not always relations live near enough to tend the graves of their loved ones. Those criminals are not punished nearly enough as some in our society who just went off track and ended up with nothing. So unfair.

Some ten years back there was an IPS officer named as Kiran Bedi and she kinda totally transformed the gaol life and the inmates had something to do creative and it was a festival sort of. This was focused by media and political people that Kiran had lots of novelty under her sleeve but sadly enough the god job was no more appreciated and she faces music specially from the ruling political parties and now she is free from the bondage of the democratic slavery. All are selfish and the good job hardly reaches the milestone.

hhmm the chain gang pops up in my head let them work rebuilding bridges an roads

I saw one for a juvenile delinquent. His mom made him stand at an intersection with a sign saying exactly what it was that he had done. But take it one step further and have him perform some kind of community service with the sign.

I think they should plant trees get them involved in reforestation Did you know that they also train service dogs?

if have the power to judge ,I will let them to develop their own talents in prison , i will investigate what kind of things they could do ,and then let them do . for example. if a criminal is good at writing :) just let him write .haha maybe I am so stupid

This is not new, nor is it mine. It is not really a punishment, but is a rehabilitation. Prisoners are given a chance to socialize abandoned dogs or dogs that will be trained as therapy dogs. It often turns their life around as well as helping an animal become adoptable.

Personally, I think we lock up people for stupid reasons. For example, almost no first offense of a non violent crime should be grounds for incarceration. Most of the people who are convicted of such crimes are otherwise productive, tax paying people. There is little point in separating non violent offenders from society. Lock up should be reserved for flight risks, repeat offenders and (most of all) violent offenders. Personally, I think we have done justice, non violent offenders and our society a disservice by doing all we can to remove humiliation from our penal system. For first offenders of non violent crimes, I say put them on public display, in the stocks for a couple of hours a day. Put big signs over their stocks with their name and what they did. We also need more "jails" like Sheriff joe Arpaio's in Arizona. A few weeks in a tent out in the middle of the desert or plains, with only balony sandwiches to eat and water to drink just might be what a would-be wayward American needs to remind them of why they don't want to continue in the waywardness. ;~D

First, I think that they should be put in their victim's place. A rapist should be raped, a child molester should be molested, a robber should know the terror of his victim. Then, along with daily therapy sessions, they should be made to work for free for organizations that battle the crimes they committed. When they are released from prison they should have a job waiting or they don't get out. Maybe we should have a separate city for lawbreakers that is tightly controlled and helps them integrate into society. But child molesters should be dropped on a shark-surrounded island and left there with no outside support and no more contact with the world.

Hi TLChimes, They can always work down in the sewers cleaning out the drains, now that would be the greater good for everybody. Tamara

Good topic. It does make you stop and think. For the "trustees"- they could help out in transport and aid in eating, company etc for residents of nursing home. Freeing up aides etc to do the tasks that more traning is needed for. Infact, I am sure some would even benefit with cena training. Then for the last part of their sentence they could work shifts at prison rates. I am sure there are inmates that would actually relish the chance. Other places for inmates of this stature are: animal shelters, mental institutions, etc. Places where there is never enough help available to provide the best care possible. Other areas help is needed to improve economics: local farms, packing plants, lawncare and snow shuveling for the elderly and shut-ins. etc,etc,etc, I don't pretend to know the dynamic of making it work, phyc profiles, etc.- just and idea that could be developed.

I think they should be made to grow farmers crops day in and day out and sleep on the farm kind of like a camp. Those produce products should go to local families that are in need of assistance. They should work in speacial car shops with security of course and they would work for those that need help without having to pay. Things like that would benefit everyone. They should also be forced to educate themselves while in jail so they can become productive members of society.

Hi TLChimes! I think of it this way, while raising 2 boys and teaching preschool I found that logical consequences for their actions always helped! If they were touching things in the store I had them put their hands on their heads! They really hated that one-but it did work. Now if we could only find logical consequences for people who commit crimes that would be great!

I loved this discussion. I think we need to deny them right to own any properties in the country. That right should essentially be confined to law abiding citizens.