How Prison Insults the Justice System

The justice system is there to ensure people don’t break the law, to keep the public safe. Yet not only does prison (our go-to punishment) increase the quantity of crimes but also their severity. This means prison, a punishment given by the justice system, has the opposite effect than it intended.

 

This isn’t about abolishing prison.

Far from it: some people need to be locked up for the public’s safety. But most prisoners don’t fit this category. Not when they first enter, at least.

With access to worse criminals, they leave jail and escalate their crimes into more serious offences. These originally safe criminals leave a danger to society.

Also, people who’ve been to prison find it hard to find employment and education. People without these opportunities are often the ones who turn to crime.

This means prison doesn’t keep the public safe but it does increase crime rates, thus making a mockery of the justice system.

 

The solution is simple: if people aren’t punished with jail, they don’t have access to worse criminals and thus won’t escalate their crimes.

 

Rehabilitated criminals are far less likely to reoffend in the future.

It gives people the skills they need to take advantage of life’s opportunities. Rehabilitation prevents future crimes, keeping the public safe and thus achieving the justice system’s purpose.

(This is why disadvantaged groups have higher rates of criminality, because they start with fewer options in life.)

 

Despite all this, prison is a preferred punishment.

Whatever the logical discussions are, people still equate justice with revenge. Punishing criminals is their priority. But should punishing someone really count for more than preventing future crimes?

Prison achieves the exact opposite of what the justice system is set out to do. So why should prison be used in any situation other than when it’s truly necessary?