2 ms·

"however I contend that life inprisonment is even worse" Possibly that's an appropriate punishment then, for the very worst of offenders.

• zeveb 10y ago
  I honestly think that life imprisonment is an atrocity. Long-term imprisonment in general is a racket, too: what difference is there really between an eleven- and a twelve-year sentence? Why does every inmate automatically start off with ⅔ of his sentence, and then get extra days added for bad behaviour? I think above a few months, imprisonment probably isn't the answer. We should explore alternatives: corporal punishment (wouldn't you rather a single lash than a year in prison?), fines, slavery (why not make someone who commits manslaughter work for the victim's family for a decade, rather than sit in prison for a decade?) and, yes, execution (which is, I contend, more humane than long-term imprisonment). I don't really know what the answer is, but I'm pretty certain it doesn't involve years of prison.
  • colejohnson66 10y ago
    Couldn't community service be viewed as a form of slave labor? (not literally, but to an extent)
    • zeveb 10y ago
      > Couldn't community service be viewed as a form of slave labor? (not literally, but to an extent) I think it literally is, which is why I think requiring it in order to graduate from high school or college is uncouth and unconstitutional (likewise, the draft). I have no problem with it as a punishment for crime, although I do have concerns about the efficacy and efficiency of how it is administered. Does it make sense for someone with high-value skills to be cleaning toilets as community service?