|
People have pointed out that low recidivism rates of the Norwegian system in contrast to the American one.
First of all: I suppose there are more than one way to get a low recidivism rate. Effective rehabilitation is one. Another is simply not letting criminals out.
I think the main problem with the American system is not that it is harsh, it is that it is injust. It disproportionally targets people from lower classes and minorities with harsh sentences for minor offenses, while letting those off the hook who can pay for expensive lawyers.
I could picture myself supporting the death penalty, for instance, if Bush and Cheney had received it.
That said, I do not think having flat screen TVs in prisons necessarily makes a 21+ sentence "soft". Taking ones freedom away is punishment.
I think there is something to be said for rehabilitation for property crimes and "mistakes of the youth" type of things. However, I think attempts to rehabilitate someone are wasted when faced with a true sociopath. I think there are certain people to whom normal standards simply don't apply to. People who possess empathy normally view such issues through a "how would I feel if I had committed this crime" lens. The problem is that there are certainly some people who simply do not possess empathy. They will never "feel bad" about what they did and always see compassion towards them as a display of weakness that needs to be exploited.
|