Is prison appropriate for non-violent crimes or should we come up with something else?

Question

Should there be another option when there is no harm (monetary or otherwise) done to others?

Answer 1

Non-violent crime should be dealt with by forcing "restitution". Violent crimes, I believe, should be dealt with on a "eye for an eye" principle. Prisons should be holding facilities until persons are PUT TO DEATH!

Answer 2

Prison should be saved for violent offenders. There should be an opportunity for rehabilitation if drugs or alcohol are the reason they've been arrested. I'd rather spend my money helping someone get healthy and sober than having them sit in prison, learning the ropes of REAL offenders.

Answer 3

Prison is not the best answer for crimes, it's just the only way to stop some people offending, for a while.

This whole question needs some radical rethinking.

Punishment. Deterrence. Restitution. What is the order of priority if all three cannot be achieved equally?

If, for example, rehabilitation is the best form of deterrence, but it reduces the element of punishment, would people live with that?

Answer 4

Give an option of jail or a flogging.

Answer 5

I don't think prison or jail is the right answer for all the things we as a society call crimes..I think the punishment should be based on the crime instead. I think prisons, and jails should be reserved strickly for people who have commited violent acts.  For monetary crimes, or misdeamers, the person in some way should repay the offended party.. History shows, prisons and jails don't reform people, and often they come out worse then when they went in..If prison was a deterent, then why are our prisons so full?  I think we really need a good list of choices and alternative punishments for crimes like most people do when they are raising their kids. Makes more sense to me..(example If someone robs you and they go to jail, you are still out what they robbed..so whats the point of sending them to jail when it doesn't get your stuff back. Personally, I rather see them go to work and give me the money to buy new stuff to replace what they stole).

Answer 6

Actually prison and jail are different...i would say to keep the non violent offenders in "jail"do not move them to the prison.