With the media reporting a number of very nasty crimes over the last week, there are increasingly vocal advocates of harsher penalties, so called "three strikes" policies, and dumping any focus on rehabilitation.
You only need to follow the comments on AdelaideNow, run by "The Advertiser," to see the depth of the feelings this issue is producing.
Those who claim that rehabilitation has failed ignore the fact that rehabilitation has never really been tried in a properly funded way. They also ignore the fact that harsh punishments have been tried for centuries and have failed. Hanging did not prevent murders, and people still stole loaves of bread in England when the penalty was transportation to Australia!
Those who would like to see the "Gang of 49" locked up need to think about this; at $65,000 per prisoner, per annum, locking up 49 people will cost us - the taxpayers of SA - nearly $3.2 million EVERY YEAR, for as long as we keep them locked up.
As an added problem, little rehabilitation occurs in gaol, so those people are still likely to offend when released.
Rehabilitation is not about a bag of lollies and a pat on the head, it is about fixing the problems that lead people to offend.
4 comments:
Hmm, let me think, Ted BUNDY, has never killed since his ececution in 89 and Bevan Spencer von Einem has not killed another teenager since his incaceration. I guess Simon we will never agree on this topic.
Grr, hit post before i fixed the type o's, take 2:
Hmm, let me think, Ted BUNDY, has never killed since his execution in 89 and Bevan Spencer von Einem has not killed another teenager since his incarceration. I guess Simon we will never agree on this topic.
Once in jail the violent "Gang of 49" cannot inflict pain and suffering onto others.Then some of the $65000 per prisoner can be used to pay for an Aboriginal Social Worker and Drug Counsellor, to make them realise there is no need for violence when both State and Federal Governments provide enough funds for housing and an education, be that at a university or a trade.Around 1994 information from Westpac was leaked to the press to inform them that $19 billion had been given to ATSIC (Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders).Who squandered all that money because the Aborigines have clearly not seen it?
Alcohol and drug use can progress into abuse and addition so insidiously that people often do not realize their drinking or drugging has become a real problem.
I feel that this is really very nice and informative post. I really like this.
-----------------
lauran
Drug Rehabs
Post a Comment