Lowering the prison population and reducing criminality. The perfect solution to jail overcrowding.
80Contents.
Prison is too easy nowadays.
The perfect way to cut crime and lower the prison population.
Further enhancements to the programme of prison reform.
Conclusion to my thoughts on penal reform.
Some appropriate music to listen to in jail.
Would the thought of life here put you off crime?
Prison is too easy nowadays.
There seems to be a feeling among a lot of people that the law, when it comes to punishing criminals, has got a bit soft. I have to admit that is a perception I share myself. Too often we hear of people who commit the most heinous crimes being let off with punishments that our ancestors would regard as ridiculously light.
People, who only 200 years ago would have been hanged, are now let off with a fine that in many cases remains unpaid.
Our prisons have become finishing schools, where the apprentice crook can study with the finest experts in the world, and emerge with enhanced skills to enable him/her to advance up a few more steps on the ladder of advanced criminality. Reducing crime seems but an afterthought in an inadequate justice system.
At the same time, the cry goes up from politicians and the chattering classes, that prisons are overcrowded, and that we need more of these places of incarceration to take the growing number of these "nightmare givers" off our streets, so that the rest of us can rest a bit more easily in our beds.
I have been squandering some grey matter on the issue, of how we might reduce the level of crime, and the amount of criminals on our streets, and at the same time reduce drastically the prison population, getting rid of the need to build any new prisons, thus giving our respective beloved governments, more money to spend on the things that really matter; (boring things like schools and hospitals, and fun things like special grants for alcohol purchase for dipsomaniac Anglo Irish hubbers.)
The perfect way to cut crime and lower the prison population.
My suggestion to any governmental authority that has the wit to listen to me is that the numbers of incarceratees can be shrunk significantly, and the level of offending in society really reduced, if the government incorporates a lottery into the working of the criminal justice system. This needs to be applied from the bottom of the spectrum to the very top. All convicted criminals, whose crime dates from the passing of the law, should be entered into this great raffle.
How it would work is simplicity itself. There would be only one prize, life imprisonment without parole. All people who commit a criminal act, from the date on which the law is passed, should be eligible. This is regardless of whether they have been convicted of cycling on the pavement or mass murder. The draw should be held once a week. There should be two winners. This would mean that approximately one hundred people would win a complete life tariff, every year. There could be an additional draw around Christmas, giving some seasonal uncheer to an additional ten or twelve malefactors. The fact that this might destroy a lifetimes Christmases for an additional twelve families, should encourage parents, spouses, and siblings to put pressure on any antisocially inclined family members to stay in line. Offenders who had been convicted before the law was passed should be excluded from the lottery, but only with regards to the crimes committed prior to the new arrangement.
Further enhancements to the programme of prison reform.
The draws should be given the maximum publicity, with the glossiest possible television advertisements to make certain that everyone knows about them. There could even be a slogan. Something along the lines of "if you don’t want to be IN, make sure you don’t WIN", would be pretty catchy. It could be plastered on posters of really miserable men and women with bars in front of them.
There should be a special programme on for Lottery Night. A really top personality should be chosen to draw the prizes; (a supermodel or a really sexy member of a boy band would be ideal). The names of the winners should be announced. Later in the same week, I would like to see an extra edition where they send a couple of outside broadcast units to the winners prison, or home if they are not in jail, to officially present them with their award, or drag them off to life "inside", whichever is applicable.
There should be frequent updates on the condition of randomly selected prize winners. These could be quite brief. They would only need to say something like this.
“Twenty year old Gary was caught shoplifting seven years ago. With an average male life expectancy, in captivity, of seventy two years, Gary can expect to be carried out of prison in his coffin in around forty six years".
I think that might make an impression.
Conclusion to my thoughts on penal reform.
For this new policy to really be successful, it must be rigidly adhered to. There can be no back tracking by any soft hearted governments, and there should be absolutely NO APPEAL, no matter how extenuating the circumstances.
I do not anticipate an immediate huge reduction in the numbers in jail, or the amount of criminals. But once people see that the law is a serious one, (the regular updates on the distressing condition of the unlucky winners should help there), I would expect a very considerable reduction in the level of all criminal activity throughout society.
Think about it, and then be very good.
Some appropriate music to listen to in jail.
Jail is not a nice place.
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Hi Peter. I think Moses may have had some good ideas. Mind you, he did have some very odd crimes.
Hi, Christopher, to get this straight in my mind, an inmate 24 hours from release could win and be held for the rest of his life? How about those released on parole, getting to stay out for the remaining time as long as they follow the guidelines set for them to gain early monitored release, will they be entered or withdrawn from the lottery? If entered and win be drug off the streets back to a life sentence? I'm trying to wrap my mind around enforcing a law that a mass murderer is deemed worthy of, upon a petty thief who enjoys the sliding scale system of conviction and sentence time. One that God will not afford to any level of sin combined with rejection of his system of belief and faith, that all will face at his time of calling to separate the goats from the sheep. Am I getting this thought process right? Dusty
Hi Dusty. Thanks for pointing out something I hadnt made very clear.
In my proposals, offenders who are convicted of crimes committed before the new law is passed, wont be entered for the lottery, but only for the offences they perpertrated before the law was changed.
A prisoner in jail, who kept his nose clean, would have nothing to fear, so long as he didnt offend after the new arrangements were brought into force. All crime, post lottery legislation, would bring eligibility for entry to the lottery.
I edited the hub, to make that a bit more clear.
The reason why I seem to be advocating treating murderers and pickpockets the same, is because I want it to frighten people off committing any crime. Here in the UK life in prison is the strongest sentence there is. In countries where they have the death penalty for murder, they could certainly keep it.
The new law would really be more aimed at putting off the more petty offender, because of a dread of a possible life sentence.
Oh, could I also say that the number of prize winners at two per week, and around twelve at Christmas, is based on a country with a population like The UK of around sixty million.
In The United States these figures would need to be multiplied by a factor of ten, in order to maintain the impact.
This idea, christopher, is so novel, unique and sensible that it will never go into effect. Fear, as you so well understand, is a great motivator but in the U.S. where political correctness (whatever that is) is so prized and esteemed, it is doomed to failure. Too bad.
Your selection of the 'Funeral March' was perfection. Voted up.
Thanks drbj. A developement of it might work really well. Once people had been scared out of risking going to jail, we could start working on the positive aspects of being good. Then crime might become a thing of the past.
Probably only a pipe dream, but that is life.
Christopher, a novel idea for the prison population and repeat offenders even while in lock down. I don't support the death penalty due to my not supporting abortion as birth control, I feel that condoning murder regardless of the situation is a no go for me, I can't approve of one and not the other.
Since the failure of Americas "three strikes" law not being used because judges going soft in their sentencing of repeat offenders, this lottery system taking away appeals and casting results in stone vs soft judges might work for one and all. I'd love to live in a society that was maintained at a safe level that I could leave my pistols out of my wardrobe, dressing around two each day I go to town to prevent possibly becoming a victim or stopping the mauling and killing that oft times happens here to folks who simply went to eat at a restaurant and ends up dying from a whack job giving them lead poisoning. Dusty
You see, Dusty, it would work.
It will never happen, of course, but it would work.
Aye Chris! (I've found that I just like saying "Aye" for any reason at all) Special grants for alcohol purchases for the Anglo/Irish - this I can support!
A fine idea, Lad (I also like to say "lad" whenever possible - too many silly pirate movies, or something)
Aye, Wesman old son you been hangin round me too much, I aye all the time and it's rubbin off! Ha! is nuther good one, dust
Hi, I think this is a great idea! what about a smaller lotto for, I don't know, something like castration? waddya think? if they don't want the prize, they can opt out for life imprisonment again or maybe being sent to the hottest place on earth with just a bottle of water, and underpants, and told to count the grains of sand! umm! like that one! lol cheers nell
Shiver me timbers Wesman, Cap'n Sir. I thinks we should get up a petition on that thar alchohol providin, and extend it to Texas/Irish as well.
Aye! I thinks we should.
Nell. I think you and I ought to be in the government.
Hi, Yep, we would sort them out! lol
Ah, what an idea and what a wit. Ever so glad I followed you. Enjoyed and voted up. And Nell, that would make em think twice!
An interesting idea.
I don't agree with it, but interesting none-the-less. This article reminds me that I need to put my article on the Death Penalty up here at HubPages. But for your article, I don't agree with it because it's a lottery.
One of the issues right now, a point I do agree with you on, is that we're lax in punishing our criminals. Before committing a crime, a person weighs the penatly against the reward. And since the odds are that they won't get caught, but even if they do get caught they could still walk or get a slap on the wrist, they go ahead and roll the dice.
What you are putting forth would remove the question completely, since they really would be rolling the dice. Having their name thrown into the hat along with (potentially) thousands of other people? Hell, why not.
Not to mention, I believe that through this system we would see a drastic increase in the number of violent crimes. Think about this:
I've decided I'm going to rob you. I may just threaten you, or knock you around a bit, and then steal what I want. But that leaves you free to tell the police and possibly describe me. With your system, this could come with the very same punishment as I would get for just killing you. And since dead men can't go to the police with a description, or even alert them to the crime in the first place, why not just go ahead and kill you?
Hi McCordRM.
Thanks for your input. I was being slightly "tongue in cheek" with my suggestion, since there is little possibility of it ever being put into practice.
Your last point does give me pause as well.
I suppose really I just want to encourage people to think a bit beyond the conventional solutions, which dont really seem to work.
For the violent criminals – rapists, child molesters, murderers -- who are guilty beyond any doubt; (they’re on video doing the crime, their DNA samples match, there are several impartial eye witnesses, they have confessed to the crime, etc.,) the sentence I would impose is to load them in the belly of a big cargo plane, fly out over the Atlantic Ocean on an as-needed basis, and about 200 miles off-shore, open the bay doors. This way we are not directly responsible for putting them to death. They have a chance of survival (slim, but still a chance).
Hi Sylva Hayes.
That certainly is an original suggestion. I still prefer the lottery idea, mind you.
Thanks for your contribution.
Your lottery idea is a good one. What do you think about implementing both my idea and yours? Mine would get the extreme beyond help types out of the way and yours would hopefully make the rest of the criminal element think twice.
That might indeed be a good idea Sylva.
I really hope your idea is "Tongue in Cheek,' If you are serious then you must be insane! Just my opinion.
If the government really wants to reduce the criminal population the biggest factor would be to legilise pot.
Hi ruffridyer. It is just an idea. I'm sure it could be tweaked by better legal minds than mine.
Thanks for reading.
This reminds of a scene from The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire in which some of the soldiers had failed in their duty. The general had them all stand on the ledge of a bridge while he walked behind. He randomly nudged off a few to their death. I think he made an impression that he meant business.
That's The Romans for you.
If they had a mutiny, or the soldiers failed in their duty, they executed one in every ten.
Thats where the term "decimation" came from.
Thanks for dropping by Reynold.
Now Elisa Baker has been sentenced to only 18 years for murdering and dismembering little 10-year-old Zahara Baker. That probably means Elisa will serve about 9 years. She's only 43. So we the taxpayers will feed and clothe her and provide medical care for 9 years and then when she's only in her early fifties, she will be turned out onto the public to commit more felonies. It boggles the mind.
I'm not familiar with that case Silva, but from what you are saying, the sentence seems to be far too lenient.
Christopheranton, this happened in the state of North Carolina here in the US. The father came from Australia bringing his daughter Zahra in response to meeting Elisa on line. They married and Elisa brutally abused Zahra and eventually killed her and dismembered her. Zahra, only ten years old, had already had bone cancer, had lost one leg, and was deaf.
In addition to second degree murder, Elisa Baker also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the case, and to charges unrelated to Zahra's death, including obtaining property by false pretenses, financial identity fraud and bigamy. Adam Baker, Zahra’s father, faces multiple criminal charges of his own, although none are related to Zahra’s death.
Police described three cases where witnesses saw Elisa beat Zahra. Once the child attended school with two black eyes and was afraid to go home.
The case revealed Elisa Baker as a woman with a troubled past, constantly shifting addresses and staying one step ahead of bill collectors and county social service agencies investigating reports of child abuse. The Associated Press found that she has been married seven times, including several overlapping marriages. During those marriages, former husbands told the AP that Elisa beat her three children and that social service agencies in several counties had investigated the abuse.
One more case where everyone failed the child. The parents, the step-parent, the school, Child Protective Services; it is heart-breaking.
Cases like this are why I advocate putting these people in a big plane and dumping them out in the Atlantic. This woman with her horrific past will probably get out of prison, find some other gullible man on line, and abuse other children and possibly commit murder again. Someone needs to demand justice for Zahra!
I can see where you are coming from Sylva.
That really was an horrific case. Sadly cruelty to children seems to be rife, and not only in North Carolina.
No punishment is too much for the perpretators, in my view.
That woman seems to have got off very lightly. There should be a charge of "agravated murder" for that kind of crime, with a special punishment.
I can think of 2 people that would share this kind of thinking, 2 men that built great things and changed many minds into this type of thinking, they would be Joeseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. Physiological analysis of this type of thinking would fall under a sociopath. Because not all prisoners are under violent crimes, growing a pot plant in your closet shouldnt be a life sentance, but what your suggesting is that they should be, and what about wrongful convictions, will they also be in your lottery? This was absolutely horrid to read.
Hi The Scary Truth.
If enforced with the right amount of publicity, and with a government that was firm enough to see it through, the prison population could be reduced to almost nothing. The crime rate would go "through the floor as well". Is that something that you wouldn't want?
Have you ever heard the saying "you can't make an ommelette without breaking eggs"?
Yes because thats working out great in the UK and America as well, prison populations are on the rise and crime rates even with stricter laws, and sentances, Both systems have failed, they're not cost effective, failed in public safety, and rehabilitation, all this would do is add to it. WHat your saying is every year we are going to take one person in a prison and pretty much shoot them in the head, hell we could put it on TV and make some serious money. And the physcological torture of inmates would be extream, causing more hardened, and angry ex-cons than before, more prone to violent crimes. Better yet lets take that lottery and have them to medical experiments on them. Since it would be for the greater good right. Its funny I dont see you breaking any of your eggs, your only risking other peoples
How could there be any haedened and angry ex cons, when the winners in the lottery would be guaranteed an entire life sentence? I dont think it should be just one. We could have about twenty draws per year. That should be sufficient, if publicised properly.
If you are so certain that I am wrong The Scary Truth, what is your alternative suggestion?
If you make a life sentance a possibilty, they might as well do a crime that is deserving of it. The people hat win will probably kill them selves at some point, the people that become hardened are the ones that DONT win and are released. Your suggestion alone if implimented would put enough anger and stress into them alone, that rehabilition would be impossible.
Best solution is simple, infact economical, and eco friendly, and other than initial cost will be no cost to the tax payer. A prison can be completely self sustaining, a waste recyling plant, the regular refuse that would normally be in a landfill will power a steam generator, crops will be grown for food, wood, plastic and metal will be recycled and resold, All prisoners will work. You want to act like garbage, you get to work with garbage. This acts as a punishment, and gives the prisoners something productive to do during their time. TEaching prisoners what a good hard working day is all about.
Hi The Scary Truth.
We could always have the situation where nobody goes to jail except the winners of the lottery, and then we would have no angry ex prisoners.
There is a prison population of about eighty thousand in the United Kingdom. If that number were reduced to one thousand "lifers" drawn from a lottery of all those found guilty of a criminal charge, it would not be long until the crime rate plummeted.
Your idea is fine, but it does have some problems. What would be the point in taking work off people in the outside world, and giving it to convicts? You just increase unemployment, and make crime more likely.
My idea, if immaginately implemented, is by far the better option.
No its not, because people make mistakes, minor and major, if your option is better the next time you go out to eat at the pub, and your just barely over the legal limit to drive, you face life in prison. Why dont you goose step to another topic. what your suggesting is people CANT make mistakes or they dont have the right to live. We need to allow mistakes and bad decisions to have punishment, and allow people to get past it. Or should we start the concentration camps now. Your idea will encourage more violent crimes, Im not gonna just rob you, Im gonna kill you then rob you, since either way I am going away for life. What your talking about sounds more like an ethnic cleansing than a reform system driving prison cost through the roof. Giving the prisoner work is a way of gain structure, working with garbage still gives them the punishment, but when they are released is the key, they will try to gain that structure back, the easiest way is to gain employment.
I was once told, dont hand down a punishment that you dont know what it feels like. Are you willing to do the same? Your willing to take life away, with no regret. If you were in my office suggesting this, I would seriously consider medicating and institutionalizing you. Do you really think your so much better than everybody that you can judge them in this light?
Im even gon add to my last comment, SO now your in line for life in prison after killing and robbing one guy, how about the witness near by, might as well kill him to, and the cop trying to arrest me, kill him as well, and the judge convicting me, Well hell Im going away for life might as well make it worth it and take a stab at the prossicuter as well. Before I got to jail I might as well get laid a few times before I go, so I'll rape a several people. Hows your option looking now?
I would be just as eligible for a place in the lottery if I committed a crime, so I dont consider myself to be better than anyone else.
If the only people tast were put in prison were those who's names were drawn from the lottery, and that was limited to about ten percent of the present prison population, but they were guaranteed life without parole, it would be a powerful incentive not to commit any crimes. You might get away with it, but if you are convicted, and your name is drawn out of the hat, then you are screwed.
Really simple, and very effective. Quite a lot of victims of crime would probably agree with me.
And what about victimless crimes? Plan and simple it might work for about 2-3 years, you might drop the crime rate, but then you will strengthen organized crime, they will build armies to combat against police, You would strengthen gangs, because now an independent criminal will have more reason to go to an organized crime group for more protection. And btw the scenerio that was drawn out Multiplies the victims of one criminal actions, so instead of 1 simple robbery, you have many deaths and rapes to go along with it. Your not seeing the actual effects of this action, Your not thinking of the victims that will multiply, Now instead of a wallet being stolen you have deaths. Or instead of a little fist fight with a guy, you might as well kill them. Instead of buying the drugs from a dealer, you should kill him and take his stash.
And who the hell is running this lottery? This is so open to corruption it's not even funny. All the names in it could be the same.
SO is it worth it for 2-3 of deterance, during that time you might want to start forifing your home, theis will insite rebelion, and organized crime will flourish, there will be more violent crimes, and public safety will be demolished.
The Scary Truth.
There is no such thing as victimless crime. Every crime has a victim, whether it is murder, insurance fraud or television license evasion.
Gang membership should melt away, once the members realise that they risk life imprisonment without parole if arrested.
Who is going to rebel? Law abiding citizens will applaud the initiative, and after a few years there will be an awful lot more of them. After about twenty years admission to prisons ought to be almost zero, because the fear of the possible consequences will make a life of crime a very unattractive option.
Taxes should be reduced when the crime rate plummits.
Altogether I forsee a "win win" situation for society, if my proposition is adopted.
Have you even studied history? Human behavior? You are the defintion of Insanity if that is the case. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again expecting diferent results. More laws and stricter punishments havent helped so far, and you keep endorcing it. YOUR NOT HELPING. And after reading your bio, about drinking on a park bench in some places its illegal to do that, some parts of the States its illegal to smoke in parks. Ready for that life sentance then. THat would be a victimless crime. And you are completely wrong about organized crime, they already face life in prison, Have they stopped yet? Victimless crimes: Public intoxication, drug addiction, alcholism, Your treating every one like a murder and rapist.
How fortunate it is, for me, that I dont live in certain parts of The United States. I am not proposing anything, that I believe I should not be subject to myself. Nobody should be above the law.
In answer to your question, I have studied history, in some detail, as it happens.
Could I ask you a question. If you knew that you would be entered into a lottery, on conviction, that could net you life in prison without parole, would you think twice before committing a petty crime? You might be throwing your entire life away. Would it be worth the risk?
You mean like peeing in public? Which can land you 1 year in prison if a person sees any part of your body? And also you will have to register for the rest of your life as a sex offender. Which due to work I have to do on a daily basis in the back of a truck. Hopeing that no one decides to look in the back.
You know what Go ahead and present your option to your government, if it tries to bleed its way into american government, ill be the first to signing people up to be a rebel.
I hope you use a bottle when you are peeing in the back of a truck. BTW, what kind of job puts you in that situation?
If, by some strange quirk of fate, my idea does get adopted by The American Government, dont rebel.
You might find yourself first in line for entry to the lottery.
Road contstruction, landscapers, surveyers, flaggers, arborists, meter readers, Garbage truck drivers, just to name a few, bathrooms arent readily available. It wont be adopted I can assure you that.
I dont really expect that the idea will be adopted. Good ones rarely are. Society would be the better for it, but what can I do?
as usual, your HUB has a refreshing EDGE which I greatly admire. I know of some wonderful prison ministries here in the states, but we would need millions more to truly rehab anyone in the system. I admire the fact you put the facts to rights in your history hubs..I feel exactly the same way..(and why is there a statue of Cromwell, who was a butcher?) haha
Thanks GarnetBird for your comments.
I wasn't sure, when I wrote this hub, whether I was being really serious or not. But I felt it was a subject that would excite some interesting debate, and I am pleased to see that it has.
PETER LUMETTA Level 6 Commenter 10 months ago
A refreshing look at a dismal problem. There was another solution put forth by Moses in the bible, Moses had one punishment for anyone breaking the laws, Death. And the almighty backed him on it. Controled the population and really kept the crime down. I think the Saudis use a modified version of it. Interesting, Peter