4 ms·

One of the major purposes of prisons is deterrence, and for that prisons need to be awful.

• yusee 10y ago
  In theory, harsh prison conditions deter would-be criminals. Do you have any evidence that reality conforms to this theory?
  • tmptmp 10y ago
    >>Do you have any evidence that reality conforms to this theory? Do you have any evidence that reality doesn't conform to this theory? Not a counter-question just for the sake of counter-questioning; I am sincerely interested in knowing.
    • orkoden 10y ago
      The US has harsh sentences and high crime.
      • 67726e 10y ago
        Is it possible we would have higher crime with lighter sentences?
      • tmptmp 10y ago
        This in itself doesn't prove anything. Compared to what it's harsh and high? e.g. China may have harsher sentences and lower crime.
    • orkoden 10y ago
      The US has harsh sentences and high crime.
• fsloth 10y ago
  While longer prison sentences do deter crime up to a point ( http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2016/03/criminal-justice http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2016/03/criminal...) I've not seen any data that would grade effectiveness of prisons based on their awfullness. No matter how "cushy" the prison environment is, it's still a prison. Awful prisons only dehumanize convicts and guards alike for no purpose.