4 ms·

Is he not in there to be punished though?

• polski-g 2y ago
  No. Prison exists for incapacitation. It is to protect society from miscreants. If punishment and/or rehabilitation occurs, that is nice, but it is not it's purpose.
  • rz2k 2y ago
    Are you making a specific distinction between prisons and penitentiaries?
  • marssaxman 2y ago
    Prisons have a variety of purposes, depending on who you ask.
  • Marsymars 2y ago
    To clarify, and to make it easier for anyone who wants to do further reading, I'll note that being in prison is punishment, and the purposes of punishment are variously deemed to be retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and incapacitation. (And prison only as incapacitation doesn't really make any sense given that prison terms differ based on the crime.)