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Is the Role of Prison to Reform or to Punish? By Artashes Toumanov, TheWorldJournal.com 
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From the first date of existence, prisons were created specially to punish people. But after some time another opinion has appeared. As criminal statistics, especially among youth, was growing up in the last several years, people started to think if prison is the place that reform criminals or punish them. What does "punish" mean? As I know, to punish somebody means to do something against any person and to make him to repent in what he did. What are prisons for criminals? I do not think that they are afraid of them. Moreover, I think that some of them sit in jail and enjoying their life and their breakfast. They have nothing to do there, except some work. There is no real punishment if the criminal's behavior is calm and good. Of course, some of them were bitten by policemen, but its only because they were "too active". We think that prison's role is to punish murderers and bandits, but we can't say for sure what the real punishment is for criminals themselves! For some of them it is pleasure to sit in prison. So, there is no actual punishment in prison for bandits. I agree with that point of view that prison's role is to reform criminals. And for this point I have some arguments that I want to tell you about. This story I've read in the newspaper. There is one jail in Switzerland that offers prisoners best life conditions. It is not a big prison and it looks like a huge house of some celebrity. This prison has no security inside the building; all the prisoners are living in their own rooms with a good bed, television and bathroom. Switzerland government explains it as a "test-prison", which has only one aim - to reform criminals. Head of this prison is sure that by offering prisoners good conditions of living and good relationship, they will think about sense of life and start analyzing their behavior. And it's really working! All the prisoners, instead of escaping, are working in the beautiful workshop and earn money. They have dinners together with the chief of this prison. And all of them are becoming friends with the head of this "paradise for criminals". After their time is over, they go into the real life with big money they've earned, most of them become successful businessmen. They often meet with the head of prison and have a good time. Several days ago I found an Internet site. This site is made by prisoners of an American prison (I don't remember exactly which one). But I could read a lot of messages from prisoners. They say that if they had one more chance, they wouldn't make such things as robbing or killing. They apologize to us for what they've done and most of them want just another chance. Accordingly to all I said, I am sure that prison's role is to reform criminals, to re-educate them. If criminals consider prison as a punishment, they possibly will become more aggressive and nervous. And we don't want it. © March 13, 2001 |
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