Reply #29: I guess that depends on your views on the purpose of prison.

[LWolf]

For the record, I don't support the death penalty in any form, for any reason.

From my view, prison has 3 purposes:

1. To serve as a deterrent. There is a portion of the population that will avoid crimes to avoid losing their freedom.

2. To rehabilitate. I don't care what the crime was, or how long the person will spend in prison. A responsible society, in recognition of their humanity, should offer lifelong opportunities to rehabilitate.

3. To protect the public. I don't care whether the person is rehabilitated or not. Anyone who poses a danger to the public, anyone who has the slightest chance of offending again, needs to stay put. It's not a punishment, but a protection of everyone else.

How should prisoners live? They should live in solitary. For anyone who has a chance of being released at any point in time, allowing them to assimilate the current prison culture sets them up to fail when they are released. Adequate contact can be had from visitors, counselors, and spiritual leaders of a desired faith. Provide them with tv. Even with a computer, as long as there is no email or internet connection. Connection to a prison server with a variety of resources. Education, library services. Food, clothing, the opportunity to bathe and be well groomed, and adequate health care. That's not torture. It's more than many free citizens have.