Prison, help or harm?

I can tell you first hand that the prison system does nothing to help rehabilitate criminals. You must also understand that one must WANT to change who they are. I was released from prison one year and 27 days ago, i spent over four years inside.Although the "system" does offer programs to change thinking give coping skills ect, there is no help for those that don't want help. these programs are forced upon convicts in hope for parole. i went through these programs and to be honest i thought them a joke. i had already decided to change my lifestyle and these programs could still offer me nothing. I was on my own. i would like you to view the system as a business for a moment. Having convicts in and out of prison on a continual basis keeps guards, officails, parole officers, police and numerous unmentioned others in jobs. I have been on Parole for one year and have 10 months to go and i can say for sure that the system is designed to premote failure. Now you can assume that this response is biased but i can assure you that although i am an "excon" i also would like to point out that i was guilty, plead guily and have no reason to be bitter about the system except the fact the there is nothing done to give real skills to the men that want to get out with the tools to make in life. i would like to also point out that i did my time in the canadian penal system.

yes, they do change many criminals. At least they deter the criminals to commit crime again to some extent, unless they are making a living on it. the prison reforms that have been implemented here, in india are giving good results and are very fruitful till now. even the hard core criminals are learning what is life. Yoga Classes are run, illiterate prisoners are encouraged to become literates, those who are with psychic problems are given good counselling, etc. definitely there is a big transformation. thanks to the dedicated officers.