bob-- following up on your reply to Jazz-- Human society is undergoing a change in its ideas on how to deal with people who commit capital crimes.. It was in Quaker Pennsylvania (or was it a quaker community in Maryland?) that first came up with penitentiaries-- and solitary confinment-- the thought being that a criminal should contempate in solitude and repent for his (her) evil ways.. most non-quaker went "mad"-- and the quakers soon reformed -- and sentenced criminals to "reformatories" and taught them crafts or work skills..
We as people still haven't decided whether we want to punish crimials or reform them-- to make them serve time-- or to also repent their crimes... And our attempt to deal with criminals are not very well thought out.. Our (US) constitution prohibits "cruel and unusual" punishments-- but we don't quite agree on what is cruel and unusual... Chain gangs are still legal-- (as is the death penalty) and we take issue with china for using "prison labor" to make export goods-- but a front page article in NYTImes late last week praised US prisons setting up "industries" -- (the idea to teach inmates work skills, so the when they left prison they would also be "reformed" and have job skills..)
There are no easy answers.. It's all well and good to think pure thoughts-- and i'd like to think someone who has been convicted, and has servered time should be able to re-enter society-- but i'll be honest--I don't want a felon for a neighbor or a work mate. nor do i want them teaching in schools, or doing lots of other things (serving as corporate officers-- handling money..)
I have work and developed friendships with former junkies-- and truly believe drugs (and drug use) should be de-criminalized-- Drug use is a problem- but i don't think its a crime.
