A few people have mentioned Norway's system and they're bang on.
I don't understand the idea that prison should be "bread and water, no tv, etc". For murderers and rapists, maybe, but how would that benefit somebody serving a small sentence for a minor crime? Would they come out of prison a better person and somebody who can be a positive to society? No way.
In my opinion, prison should almost be like a big college. Prisoners should learn skills and gain qualifications so that when they get out, they actually stand a chance. Prisoners should be doing 9am-5pm days of education. When you strip everything away; you're putting people in a building for a few years, why on earth isn't there more of an effort to improve them? Rotting in a cell; how does that improve someone exactly? Norway has got it absolutely spot on.
Regarding drugs; there's going to have to come a time when certain drugs are legalised, controlled and taxed. People are really suffering because of drugs and nobody really cares. The government isn't recognising the huge drug problem this country has. You can't put your fingers in your ears and cover your eyes forever.
The prison system at the moment is broken and it's no surprise that many prisoners are re-offending very quickly after release.
I don't understand the idea that prison should be "bread and water, no tv, etc". For murderers and rapists, maybe, but how would that benefit somebody serving a small sentence for a minor crime? Would they come out of prison a better person and somebody who can be a positive to society? No way.
In my opinion, prison should almost be like a big college. Prisoners should learn skills and gain qualifications so that when they get out, they actually stand a chance. Prisoners should be doing 9am-5pm days of education. When you strip everything away; you're putting people in a building for a few years, why on earth isn't there more of an effort to improve them? Rotting in a cell; how does that improve someone exactly? Norway has got it absolutely spot on.
Regarding drugs; there's going to have to come a time when certain drugs are legalised, controlled and taxed. People are really suffering because of drugs and nobody really cares. The government isn't recognising the huge drug problem this country has. You can't put your fingers in your ears and cover your eyes forever.
The prison system at the moment is broken and it's no surprise that many prisoners are re-offending very quickly after release.