17 September, 2005

Answer to comment

In answer to Tessa's comment, yes we used to send people to convict colonies but that was in an age when we didn't know what to do. In a modern day society we now have the common sense and a legal system to prevent some miss carriages of justice. Of course justice sometimes times gets things wrong but everyone gets a trial whether fair or just, is another question but twelve jurors decide the fate of the accused. To put people in prison seems unfair to some people but what other way do we show the criminal element of society that unlawful acts will not be tolerated. We no longer put someone behind bars for just being bankrupt. Prison as I have said is no longer the deterrent it was and we have to find ways of making it a deterrent. To say that we would be taking a step back into the dark ages is not wrong but we have to find out where the prison system fails. Should a murderer serve only ten to fifteen years when he was given life imprisonment. My view is life should be life. It seems that people think taking away a persons liberty should be enough but in the world we live in it seems its not. For instance a burglar broke into your house and assaulted you to get away and you got seriously injured in today's climate he could sue you for any injury he received. Which doesn't make sense to me. I don't believe in revenge but I think its becoming clear that because the law doesn't seem to protect the innocent then people are starting to take the law into their own hands. This is why I feel that we need a strong deterrent and if it means we have to get tough on the undesirable element of society then so be it but if it means we have to send them to prison then we have to make prison the most unwelcoming place on earth. I just don't see how we can keep on defending people in prison. I did wrong and I went to prison but it was not a deterrent. It for me was a welcome break break from my everyday struggle.

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