CX,
before calling pple anything and making smart-alecky comments,
perhaps u might like to read this abt how reforming prisoners is
better than punnishing (jailing) them. oh, and remember that teh
Death Penalty provides no chance for reformation...
TODAY NewsPaper
January 26th 2004
When jail may not be the solution
An alternative could be 'restorative justice', which involves
offenders making direct amends
Silva Kandiah
[email protected]
Jail for molesters, grandmothers who harbour illegals, a mother
with a handicapped son and, in the United States, for those who
videotape movies.
.
There is much debate about the length of the sentences, but the
larger debate should be about whether the world's justice systems
are relying too much on jail sentences.
.
It is sad that there was no alternative punishment for the mother
who had to go to jail and be separated from her handicapped
son.
.
The purpose of prison is for restraint, retribution and
rehabilitation. The two former intents are mostly fulfilled, but
the issue is whether there are more civilised and less wasteful
alternatives. As for the rehabilitative goal, there is evidence to
say that it has failed.
.
Even in Singapore, where the prison system is doing well by world
standards, a study released by the research and statistics
department of the Subordinate Courts showed that 58 per cent or
33,167 of the 56,904 crimes committed in 2002 were by repeat
offenders. It was a 10 per cent increase over 2001.
.
More worrying was the finding that repeat offenders were committing
more than one crime, at an average of 2.3 crimes in 2002 compared
to 1.7 in 2001.
.
Did prison stays make them worse?
.
In the US, the Plain Truth magazine reported that, despite being
called correctional institutions, the prisons have become so
overcrowded that "the American justice system has all it can do to
house inmates while they serve their time. Seeking to reform
inmates is no longer a priority in most facilities".
.
Also in the US, statistics indicate that many released prisoners
return to crime often worse ones and become targets for
recruitment by organised crime in and outside the prison system and
by terrorist groups.
.
The Plain Truth asked: "Have the very institutions we established
to redeem errant citizens been turned into factories for hatred and
violence?"
.
Other than locking up criminals whose freedom will be a menace to
society and to serve as a deterrent, jail benefits no one. The
state incurs huge expenditure in the trials, maintaining the
system, dealing with the consequences of jailing someone, the army
of counsellors for the prisoners and their families, the welfare
arrangements and the post-release monitoring.
.
The convicted suffer punishment in excess of the jail terms
destroyed careers or businesses, shattered and separated families,
legal fees and exposure to the excesses of prison such as violent
behaviour or temperament, sexual deviation, homosexual rape and
molest, organised crime, racism and disease.
.
Prison separates them from the institutions that could help them
change family, friends, religious communities and meaningful
work. The victims endure the trials, loss of time, the medical and
legal costs and little compensation. Even the fines go to the
state.
.
So, what are the alternatives? These lie in the principles of
restitution and compensation. The UK's Telegraph reported in July
last year about the country's exploration of "restorative justice"
as an alternative to the court system to save time and money, ease
prison over-crowding and reduce the rate of re-offending. It
involves criminals apologising to their victims and making amends
and reparations, either to the victim or to the wider community by
repairing property, cleaning premises or removing graffiti.
.
The measure has been a feature of the youth justice system in the
UK for several years a study showed a 25 per cent drop in the
level of re-offending.
.
In China, there was a case of a farmer who was caught for illegal
logging and ordered to replant 30,000 trees, more than what he had
cut down. Instead of being unproductive in prison, he was allowed
to continue his vocation, redeem himself, restore the damage and
pay back to society.
.
The advantage in such an approach was that the offenders would be
more willing to confess and the victims more willing to come
forward.
.
For people-scarce Singapore, a system that wastes lives and causes
disruption ought to be reviewed.
.
The writer is a managing consultant with Integrative Learning
Corp.
An alternative could be 'restorative justice', which involves
offenders making direct amends
Silva Kandiah
[email protected]
Jail for molesters, grandmothers who harbour illegals, a mother
with a handicapped son and, in the United States, for those who
videotape movies.
.
There is much debate about the length of the sentences, but the
larger debate should be about whether the world's justice systems
are relying too much on jail sentences.
.
It is sad that there was no alternative punishment for the mother
who had to go to jail and be separated from her handicapped
son.
.
The purpose of prison is for restraint, retribution and
rehabilitation. The two former intents are mostly fulfilled, but
the issue is whether there are more civilised and less wasteful
alternatives. As for the rehabilitative goal, there is evidence to
say that it has failed.
.
Even in Singapore, where the prison system is doing well by world
standards, a study released by the research and statistics
department of the Subordinate Courts showed that 58 per cent or
33,167 of the 56,904 crimes committed in 2002 were by repeat
offenders. It was a 10 per cent increase over 2001.
.
More worrying was the finding that repeat offenders were committing
more than one crime, at an average of 2.3 crimes in 2002 compared
to 1.7 in 2001.
.
Did prison stays make them worse?
.
In the US, the Plain Truth magazine reported that, despite being
called correctional institutions, the prisons have become so
overcrowded that "the American justice system has all it can do to
house inmates while they serve their time. Seeking to reform
inmates is no longer a priority in most facilities".
.
Also in the US, statistics indicate that many released prisoners
return to crime often worse ones and become targets for
recruitment by organised crime in and outside the prison system and
by terrorist groups.
.
The Plain Truth asked: "Have the very institutions we established
to redeem errant citizens been turned into factories for hatred and
violence?"
.
Other than locking up criminals whose freedom will be a menace to
society and to serve as a deterrent, jail benefits no one. The
state incurs huge expenditure in the trials, maintaining the
system, dealing with the consequences of jailing someone, the army
of counsellors for the prisoners and their families, the welfare
arrangements and the post-release monitoring.
.
The convicted suffer punishment in excess of the jail terms
destroyed careers or businesses, shattered and separated families,
legal fees and exposure to the excesses of prison such as violent
behaviour or temperament, sexual deviation, homosexual rape and
molest, organised crime, racism and disease.
.
Prison separates them from the institutions that could help them
change family, friends, religious communities and meaningful
work. The victims endure the trials, loss of time, the medical and
legal costs and little compensation. Even the fines go to the
state.
.
So, what are the alternatives? These lie in the principles of
restitution and compensation. The UK's Telegraph reported in July
last year about the country's exploration of "restorative justice"
as an alternative to the court system to save time and money, ease
prison over-crowding and reduce the rate of re-offending. It
involves criminals apologising to their victims and making amends
and reparations, either to the victim or to the wider community by
repairing property, cleaning premises or removing graffiti.
.
The measure has been a feature of the youth justice system in the
UK for several years a study showed a 25 per cent drop in the
level of re-offending.
.
In China, there was a case of a farmer who was caught for illegal
logging and ordered to replant 30,000 trees, more than what he had
cut down. Instead of being unproductive in prison, he was allowed
to continue his vocation, redeem himself, restore the damage and
pay back to society.
.
The advantage in such an approach was that the offenders would be
more willing to confess and the victims more willing to come
forward.
.
For people-scarce Singapore, a system that wastes lives and causes
disruption ought to be reviewed.
.
The writer is a managing consultant with Integrative Learning Corp.
An alternative could be 'restorative justice', which involves
offenders making direct amends
Silva Kandiah
[email protected]
Jail for molesters, grandmothers who harbour illegals, a mother
with a handicapped son and, in the United States, for those who
videotape movies.
.
There is much debate about the length of the sentences, but the
larger debate should be about whether the world's justice systems
are relying too much on jail sentences.
.
It is sad that there was no alternative punishment for the mother
who had to go to jail and be separated from her handicapped
son.
.
The purpose of prison is for restraint, retribution and
rehabilitation. The two former intents are mostly fulfilled, but
the issue is whether there are more civilised and less wasteful
alternatives. As for the rehabilitative goal, there is evidence to
say that it has failed.
.
Even in Singapore, where the prison system is doing well by world
standards, a study released by the research and statistics
department of the Subordinate Courts showed that 58 per cent or
33,167 of the 56,904 crimes committed in 2002 were by repeat
offenders. It was a 10 per cent increase over 2001.
.
More worrying was the finding that repeat offenders were committing
more than one crime, at an average of 2.3 crimes in 2002 compared
to 1.7 in 2001.
.
Did prison stays make them worse?
.
In the US, the Plain Truth magazine reported that, despite being
called correctional institutions, the prisons have become so
overcrowded that "the American justice system has all it can do to
house inmates while they serve their time. Seeking to reform
inmates is no longer a priority in most facilities".
.
Also in the US, statistics indicate that many released prisoners
return to crime often worse ones and become targets for
recruitment by organised crime in and outside the prison system and
by terrorist groups.
.
The Plain Truth asked: "Have the very institutions we established
to redeem errant citizens been turned into factories for hatred and
violence?"
.
Other than locking up criminals whose freedom will be a menace to
society and to serve as a deterrent, jail benefits no one. The
state incurs huge expenditure in the trials, maintaining the
system, dealing with the consequences of jailing someone, the army
of counsellors for the prisoners and their families, the welfare
arrangements and the post-release monitoring.
.
The convicted suffer punishment in excess of the jail terms
destroyed careers or businesses, shattered and separated families,
legal fees and exposure to the excesses of prison such as violent
behaviour or temperament, sexual deviation, homosexual rape and
molest, organised crime, racism and disease.
.
Prison separates them from the institutions that could help them
change family, friends, religious communities and meaningful
work. The victims endure the trials, loss of time, the medical and
legal costs and little compensation. Even the fines go to the
state.
.
So, what are the alternatives? These lie in the principles of
restitution and compensation. The UK's Telegraph reported in July
last year about the country's exploration of "restorative justice"
as an alternative to the court system to save time and money, ease
prison over-crowding and reduce the rate of re-offending. It
involves criminals apologising to their victims and making amends
and reparations, either to the victim or to the wider community by
repairing property, cleaning premises or removing graffiti.
.
The measure has been a feature of the youth justice system in the
UK for several years a study showed a 25 per cent drop in the
level of re-offending.
.
In China, there was a case of a farmer who was caught for illegal
logging and ordered to replant 30,000 trees, more than what he had
cut down. Instead of being unproductive in prison, he was allowed
to continue his vocation, redeem himself, restore the damage and
pay back to society.
.
The advantage in such an approach was that the offenders would be
more willing to confess and the victims more willing to come
forward.
.
For people-scarce Singapore, a system that wastes lives and causes
disruption ought to be reviewed.
.
The writer is a managing consultant with Integrative Learning Corp.
An alternative could be 'restorative justice', which involves
offenders making direct amends
Silva Kandiah
[email protected]
Jail for molesters, grandmothers who harbour illegals, a mother
with a handicapped son and, in the United States, for those who
videotape movies.
.
There is much debate about the length of the sentences, but the
larger debate should be about whether the world's justice systems
are relying too much on jail sentences.
.
It is sad that there was no alternative punishment for the mother
who had to go to jail and be separated from her handicapped
son.
.
The purpose of prison is for restraint, retribution and
rehabilitation. The two former intents are mostly fulfilled, but
the issue is whether there are more civilised and less wasteful
alternatives. As for the rehabilitative goal, there is evidence to
say that it has failed.
.
Even in Singapore, where the prison system is doing well by world
standards, a study released by the research and statistics
department of the Subordinate Courts showed that 58 per cent or
33,167 of the 56,904 crimes committed in 2002 were by repeat
offenders. It was a 10 per cent increase over 2001.
.
More worrying was the finding that repeat offenders were committing
more than one crime, at an average of 2.3 crimes in 2002 compared
to 1.7 in 2001.
.
Did prison stays make them worse?
.
In the US, the Plain Truth magazine reported that, despite being
called correctional institutions, the prisons have become so
overcrowded that "the American justice system has all it can do to
house inmates while they serve their time. Seeking to reform
inmates is no longer a priority in most facilities".
.
Also in the US, statistics indicate that many released prisoners
return to crime often worse ones and become targets for
recruitment by organised crime in and outside the prison system and
by terrorist groups.
.
The Plain Truth asked: "Have the very institutions we established
to redeem errant citizens been turned into factories for hatred and
violence?"
.
Other than locking up criminals whose freedom will be a menace to
society and to serve as a deterrent, jail benefits no one. The
state incurs huge expenditure in the trials, maintaining the
system, dealing with the consequences of jailing someone, the army
of counsellors for the prisoners and their families, the welfare
arrangements and the post-release monitoring.
.
The convicted suffer punishment in excess of the jail terms
destroyed careers or businesses, shattered and separated families,
legal fees and exposure to the excesses of prison such as violent
behaviour or temperament, sexual deviation, homosexual rape and
molest, organised crime, racism and disease.
.
Prison separates them from the institutions that could help them
change family, friends, religious communities and meaningful
work. The victims endure the trials, loss of time, the medical and
legal costs and little compensation. Even the fines go to the
state.
.
So, what are the alternatives? These lie in the principles of
restitution and compensation. The UK's Telegraph reported in July
last year about the country's exploration of "restorative justice"
as an alternative to the court system to save time and money, ease
prison over-crowding and reduce the rate of re-offending. It
involves criminals apologising to their victims and making amends
and reparations, either to the victim or to the wider community by
repairing property, cleaning premises or removing graffiti.
.
The measure has been a feature of the youth justice system in the
UK for several years a study showed a 25 per cent drop in the
level of re-offending.
.
In China, there was a case of a farmer who was caught for illegal
logging and ordered to replant 30,000 trees, more than what he had
cut down. Instead of being unproductive in prison, he was allowed
to continue his vocation, redeem himself, restore the damage and
pay back to society.
.
The advantage in such an approach was that the offenders would be
more willing to confess and the victims more willing to come
forward.
.
For people-scarce Singapore, a system that wastes lives and causes
disruption ought to be reviewed.
.
The writer is a managing consultant with Integrative Learning
Corp.
(TODAY's articles are much more objective than the Straits Times.
ST tends to praise govt officials too much.)
the pikamaster
P.S.: btw "gracious osciety" means a society that is forgiving and
accepting of others' mistakes and aims toward reformation instead
of punnishment, which is what Singapore is definitely NOT.
oh, n i dun watch Hollywood TV trials since i seldom get to watch
TV Drama. Is tick to Sci-fi shows. so there!
