Reply #5: imo it does

[sgxnk]

i have seen it happen tons of times

i have seen mandated anger management court imposed programs help domestic violence abusers into overcoming their history of violence

i have had people i have arrested PERSONALLY thank me (even hug me) for arresting them, and placing them on the path to fixing themselves. i had a DUI driver tell me that it was my arrest that finally made him stop drinking - and he was DUI'ing at least twice a week, according to him for many years

of course, the primary way that the CJ system offers help is to the victims. that it sometimes helps the offender is an added benefit (although certainly not always the case)

taking a rapist, murderer, or arsonist (all of which i have done) off the street certainly HELPS the situation. in the case of the arsonist, he had already burned three houses. putting him in prison kept him from burning anybody else's house

etc etc etc

my point is that the law is a blunt instrument (to put it mildly) and applying it to school bullies, kids with a few buds of marijuana (not to mention i am against criminalization of marijuana anyways, but that's another topic), etc. is using a sledgehammer on a gnat

it is a waste of time, money, and imo does in many cases hurt more than it helps