Should Canada get rid of all their inhumane prisons?

Question

In Canada, the average sentence of crime is much higher than the European Union nation like Spain, France, UK, etc.

We are unfairly treating our people who are just make a mistake in life, so instead of prison shouldn't we just opt for counselling?

Agree or not?

Answer 1

are you kidding?

what are you going to do,sit a murderer down and tell him/her what a bad boy/girl they are?

or tell a drug pusher they shouldnt kill our young people with drugs?

what do you think will happen to the crime rate if crims know all they will get is a talking to?  GEEZ

Answer 2

We need to build more prisons so we can keep dangerous people locked up rather than releasing them to offend again ten or twenty times.  I agree with attempting rehabilitation for the first and maybe second non-violent offence but after that they are no longer just making mistakes they have chosen a lifestyle.  

If you didn't notice the UK has an insane crime rate that keeps going up.  The UN says it is the most violent developed country in the world.  Their limited jail space is full so they don't have much choice but to release criminals back into the community.  

In contrast to the USA who's crime rate has been dropping at a faster rate than the Canadian crime rate for many years.  It currently lower than the Canadian Crime rate in all area but murder.  If they fixed their drug laws it would go down even faster.  I think guns a re a big part of that success.  The risk of having your head blown off is a deterrent even the dumbest bad guys can work into their risk benefit analysis.

Answer 3

Absolutely not!

I think the sentences need to be MORE harsh in some cases!  There are many prisons in Canada that are too nice, just ask Karla Homolka!

Answer 4

Most Cdns want tougher laws, longer jail times, higher fines and to have the Youth Crime act done away with. Adult crime, adult time. Even a four year old knows its wrong to take something that doesnt belong to you or to kill someone.

In a word "NO". We are tired of seeing people get a slap on the wrist - there are 2 criminals facing charges here in the interior of BC and between the two of them they have been charged previously and found guilty of 76 crimes - I say kill them - enough is enough --

Why should society have to put up with people like this?

Statistics and research shows counselling does NOT work, repeat offenders see it as a joke --

Answer 5

Not

Answer 6

Not.

There is nothing inhumane about Canadian prisons.  I'm getting sick to death of all these bleeding heart liberals who want to hug the criminals back into society.  

We all make choices in life and have to live with the consequences.  The laws are fair and reasonable.  You break em you get what you deserve.

Answer 7

We all make mistakes in life and have to face consequences. If you do something you know is wrong and is a crime...why should we slap you on the wrist and say, "Awww, we all make mistakes, here's a counsellor to talk to?"

This and people who use drug addiction as a crutch really tick me off. Like someone forced you to put coke up your nose.

So I disagree with you. And now I'm a little irritated. :-((

Answer 8

The Canadian justice system is poorly perceived on both sides, but moreso it has a perception of being too lenient. You're not the first person I've heard complain about the heavy-handedness of the penal system ... just the first I've heard complain about it outside of work. ;)

To those who complain about leniency, I can tell you that the majority of crimes aren't committed by hardened criminals who flount the law for fun. Most of the time, you get an otherwise good person who falls in with a bad crowd, falls in with drugs or booze, goes through some hard times, or any number of factors and winds up in the system. Our Canadian justice system is based on the notion of ultimately bringing the convicted back into the fold of society. Think back to "ye olden dayes" of the monarch's benevolence and mercy upon those who have wronged society. It's a long standing tenet of both religion and the state, all the way back to the days of Caesar Augustus and his compassionate view of justice.

To put it simply, unless you advocate sentencing everyone to life without parole, people convicted of crimes are going to re-enter society, and it's important to address the reasons they wound up in prison in the first place in order to keep them from coming back again and again. Gradually integrating people back into the real world through the Canadian parole system, plus offering addiction treatment and counselling in prison means that you are getting at the heart of why these people are breaking the law, and what can be done to stop it from happening in the future. Purely practically speaking, if you can reduce recidivism you can reduce the amount of crime being committed. The majority of these people want to "go straight" and lead productive lives that contribute to society, but have just fallen short of perfection along the way. Help them out, get them straight, and send them on their way.

Prison is necessary, however, because people do need something of a "time out" from society, to withdraw from the temptations and problems of the outside world and focus on getting things right in their lives. The solution isn't to abolish prisons or prison sentences, but to increase the amount of treatment and practical training available to people in prisons. Knock his drug habit, give him a skill he can use in the real world and you'll have a much different man than the one who went into prison.

Also, keep in mind that while average sentences may be higher in Canada, parole eligibility comes up after one-sixth of a sentence has been served. Rare indeed are those who actually spend 10 years of a 10 year sentence behind bars. In the US, strict sentencing guidelines mean that 25 to life really amounts to 25 years in prison. Don't confuse the two countries.

Answer 9

Sorry, but murder, rape, assault with a weapon, bank robbery, manslaughter, drunken driving, child abuse, arson, and crimes like that aren't mistakes.

Answer 10

The prisons offer counselling and many other programs to help inmates and are not inhumane.

Answer 11

Disagree. We have very short sentences compared to other countries. Our prisons are well kept for what they are and much, much safer than many other countries. We have a relatively fair judical system, so if you're in there, you're probably guilty and you need to serve time for what you did. If you're a danger to society then you'll be in there for much longer. And what if it wasn't a mistake in life? What if there was a murderer who killed some purposely? And if it was a mistake, that's why there are parole systems and counselling available. I think you should research the other judical systems, prison qualities and sentence lengths in other countries before you say Canada's system is bad.

Answer 12

I can't speak for all Canadians opinions, but I don't think our prisons are inhumane. We don't execute our prisoners, but if someone kills another, I think a life sentence is justified as long as there is access to rehabilitation in the prison system.

This is a very touchy subject, so I'm going to stop here.