Should We Release All Guantanamo Prisoners And Welcome Them Into Our Homes And Communities Here In

Is the American prison system more about punishment or more about rehabilitation?

They are more about punishment and do not actually increase public safety at all. In fact, our prisons release people worse off than when they entered. That is why our system does not work and our recidivism rate is so high."A recent VIJ report highlights the different approaches to sentencing and incarceration used in Germany and the Netherlands.6 In those countries, the emphasis is on rehabilitation and resocialization rather than just punishment. Incarceration is used less frequently and for shorter periods of time. Sanctions such as fines, probation and community-service are used as alternatives to incarceration when possible, particularly for non-violent crimes. The conditions and practices in the correctional facilities are meant to resemble life in the community. The end goal of incarceration is for ex-prisoners to be better citizens upon release, thereby increasing public safety.Scandinavian countries are often considered models of successful incarceration practices, particularly Norway which, at 20%, has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world. Here, too,the focus is far more on rehabilitation and less on punishment. The thinking is that justice for society is best served by releasing prisoners who are less likely to reoffend. The Norwegian penal philosophy is that traditional, repressive prisons do not work, and that treating prisoners humanelyimproves their chances of reintegrating in society."http://salve.edu/sites/default/f...