Post by Souriquois on Mar 30, 2018 4:59:58 GMT -4
This is an idea I used to think was crazy, but now I am starting to lean more towards it.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_abolition_movement
Kind of got in a debate with a friend the other day after news that the Quebec City mosque shooter will be handed the largest prison sentence in Canadian history (which is funny because the Liberals campaigned on all those points in 2015 pretty much... but that's a whole other topic).
Basically, the shooter originally pleaded not guilty which would cause his case to go to trial, but the next day, he changed his mind and pleaded guilty to all charges (terrorism, 6 counts of first-degree murder, 12 counts of attempted murder... all this translates to a sentence of 150 years which means he will never see the light of day). When he pleaded guilty, he said that he is sorry for what he did, and that he was brainwashed by propaganda that put him in a state of fear.
I said, that it would be better for him to tell his story, to educate people, especially young people, about the dangers of far-right propaganda online. I said every Canadian should hear his story, that would be a way for him to pay his debt to society, and it would be much more constructive than having him rot in a jail cell for the rest of his life. Should be be locked up for some time? Of course, and under supervision for the rest of his life. But I don't think locking him away solves the wider problem, there are more people allured by the same material he was.
My friend disagreed, and said he should be locked up forever and should never be talking to kids.
Thing is, like I have previously said, Canada used to be a much more progressive place. Prisons and mandatory minimums and all that bullshit were a Stephen Harper thing. I remember in school, we had convicted murders come to talk to my class, about what they went through in the criminal justice system and what their lives were like after, they came to talk to us kids, tell their stories, so that we would not make the same mistakes.
I guess with this particular person, there is emotions to it because he committed an act of terror that claimed so many lives and terrorized a whole community, but considering what is going on in the world today, I think he does have lessons to teach people. So many kids are one Pepe meme away from murdering somebody. I think he of all people should talk to kids at school, like killers came to talk to my class.
Nobody would argue against abolishing prisons for other offenders, drugs and stuff. But sometimes with serious crimes, they may have stories to share to prevent others, and that is a better way. Don't get me wrong, there are people who should be locked way, but others who can repay their debt to society in other ways, like helping others not make the same mistakes they did.
What do you think?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_abolition_movement
The prison abolition movement is a movement that seeks to reduce or eliminate prisons and the prison system, and replace them with more humane and effective systems[1].
It is distinct from prison reform, which is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons; however, relying on prisons less could improve their conditions by reducing overcrowding.[2]:3
Some organizations such as the Anarchist Black Cross seek total abolishment of the prison system, not intending to replace it with other government-controlled systems. Many anarchist organizations believe that the best form of justice arises naturally out of social contracts. Other supporters for prison abolition work toward non-reformist reforms[3], such as ending solitary confinement and the death penalty, stopping construction of new prisons, and the eradication of cash bail.[4]
It is distinct from prison reform, which is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons; however, relying on prisons less could improve their conditions by reducing overcrowding.[2]:3
Some organizations such as the Anarchist Black Cross seek total abolishment of the prison system, not intending to replace it with other government-controlled systems. Many anarchist organizations believe that the best form of justice arises naturally out of social contracts. Other supporters for prison abolition work toward non-reformist reforms[3], such as ending solitary confinement and the death penalty, stopping construction of new prisons, and the eradication of cash bail.[4]
Proposals for prison reform and proposed alternatives to prisons differ significantly depending on the political beliefs behind them. Proposals and tactics often include:
Penal system reforms:
Substituting, for incarceration, supervised release, probation, restitution to victims, and/or community work.
Decreasing terms of imprisonment by abolishing mandatory minimum sentencing
Decreasing ethnic disparity in prison populations
Prison condition reforms
Crime prevention rather than punishment
Abolition of specific programs which increase prison population, such as the prohibition of drugs (e.g., the American War on Drugs), gun control, prohibition of sex work, and alcohol restrictions.
Education programs to inform people who have never been in prison about the problems
Fighting individual cases of wrongful conviction
Penal system reforms:
Substituting, for incarceration, supervised release, probation, restitution to victims, and/or community work.
Decreasing terms of imprisonment by abolishing mandatory minimum sentencing
Decreasing ethnic disparity in prison populations
Prison condition reforms
Crime prevention rather than punishment
Abolition of specific programs which increase prison population, such as the prohibition of drugs (e.g., the American War on Drugs), gun control, prohibition of sex work, and alcohol restrictions.
Education programs to inform people who have never been in prison about the problems
Fighting individual cases of wrongful conviction
Basically, the shooter originally pleaded not guilty which would cause his case to go to trial, but the next day, he changed his mind and pleaded guilty to all charges (terrorism, 6 counts of first-degree murder, 12 counts of attempted murder... all this translates to a sentence of 150 years which means he will never see the light of day). When he pleaded guilty, he said that he is sorry for what he did, and that he was brainwashed by propaganda that put him in a state of fear.
I said, that it would be better for him to tell his story, to educate people, especially young people, about the dangers of far-right propaganda online. I said every Canadian should hear his story, that would be a way for him to pay his debt to society, and it would be much more constructive than having him rot in a jail cell for the rest of his life. Should be be locked up for some time? Of course, and under supervision for the rest of his life. But I don't think locking him away solves the wider problem, there are more people allured by the same material he was.
My friend disagreed, and said he should be locked up forever and should never be talking to kids.
Thing is, like I have previously said, Canada used to be a much more progressive place. Prisons and mandatory minimums and all that bullshit were a Stephen Harper thing. I remember in school, we had convicted murders come to talk to my class, about what they went through in the criminal justice system and what their lives were like after, they came to talk to us kids, tell their stories, so that we would not make the same mistakes.
I guess with this particular person, there is emotions to it because he committed an act of terror that claimed so many lives and terrorized a whole community, but considering what is going on in the world today, I think he does have lessons to teach people. So many kids are one Pepe meme away from murdering somebody. I think he of all people should talk to kids at school, like killers came to talk to my class.
Nobody would argue against abolishing prisons for other offenders, drugs and stuff. But sometimes with serious crimes, they may have stories to share to prevent others, and that is a better way. Don't get me wrong, there are people who should be locked way, but others who can repay their debt to society in other ways, like helping others not make the same mistakes they did.
What do you think?