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From: nrh@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Bastille mentality (and mori
Message-ID: <1857@inmet.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Dec-84 01:07:29 EST
Article-I.D.: inmet.1857
Posted: Tue Dec  4 01:07:29 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Dec-84 00:30:45 EST
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Nf-ID: #R:ucbcad:-282400:inmet:3900146:000:1282
Nf-From: inmet!nrh    Dec  1 13:24:00 1984

>***** inmet:net.flame / ucbcad!faustus /  8:10 pm  Nov 30, 1984
>Perhaps some people saw the news story a few days ago about a group
>of prison inmates who were let out of jail early, due to a red-tape
>foul up. Most of them went home and were doing a very good job of 
>reconstructing their lives -- going back to school, starting businesses,
>and so forth. Then the mistake was discovered and they all had to go back
>to prison. I don't think this is fair -- the function of prison is
>to rehabilitate and if it has worked (a rare occurence) why keep the
>people in prison? The problem of punishing criminals is sometimes not
>as black and white as some people would hope...
>
>	Wayne
>----------

Indeed.  The ambiguity is evinced here by your saying in one sentence
that "the function of prison is to rehabilitate" and in the next:
"The problem of punishing criminals....."

I'm not saying here that you're being fuzzy-headed, merely that the
phrasing of your article happens to reflects a confusion prevalent in
our society -- what prison is FOR.

Is "punishment" meant to rehabilitate?  Does the threat of punishment
deter criminals?  The "threat" of rehabilitation?  Does rehabilitation
work?  Could it work if done differently?

All good questions, worth thinking about.