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What Rights Should Prisoners Have?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Kaiser, Oct 13, 2014.

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What rights should prisoners have?

  1. All available.

    20 vote(s)
    33.9%
  2. Some.

    14 vote(s)
    23.7%
  3. None.

    2 vote(s)
    3.4%
  4. It depends/Other

    20 vote(s)
    33.9%
  5. Let 'em all rot!

    3 vote(s)
    5.1%
  1. Kaiser

    Kaiser Guest

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    Most people tend to separate legal prisoners and prisoners of war, and I want to as well -- for the sake of this thread, because P.O.W.s tend to bring in international law, culture, which lead into morality and nationalism, and... well, you get the point, I'm sure.

    However, that said... I can't stop where the conversation goes. I'm more concerned, and curious about, the opinions and stances of others, when it comes to incarcerated rights, than the direction. But I wanted to point that possibility out, ahead of time.

    So, should prisoners have rights? If so, how much, and why? If not, why? Should there be, a difference between non-violent and violent offenses? So on and so forth.
     
  2. Quem

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    I think it depends on the situation itself, but in general I don't think we should exclude them from rights. That being said, when it's obvious that someone killed, let's say, more than 10 people, I don't think that person actually deserves to live. But is killing him an option..? Is tormenting him an option..? I think he still has rights, but I can imagine him having less rights than others.

    I really want to see the good in people, even with people who show little. But I agree that it's very difficult in some cases.
     
  3. Blossom85

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    I do agree that I think it depends on the situation and what exactly the prisoner did. Little petty crimes like stealing etc are different then say a serial killer for example, so I honestly think it depends, however I do think they should still get rights as human beings, but what kind of rights they are entitled to should depend on each individual.
     
  4. Aussie792

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    I voted "all available," but freedom of movement, assembly, and property are obviously things that can't be given to prisoners while maintaining them as prisoners.

    For example, someone deeply involved in the drug trade really shouldn't have unchecked and unlimited visitors.

    What I do believe is that prisoners deserve education, health services, clean living spaces, colour and a tolerable enviornment (the importance of aesthetics is often undervalued, but I know I'd be rather uncomfortable living in grey concrete all the time), and access to television, books, newspapers, a (limited and monitored) internet access etc.

    Prisoners are not improved by making their lives intolerable. Prison should be about reeducation (and sometimes simple education from scratch), and protecting members of the public. Some crimes shouldn't even earn one a prison sentence; to treat them in a poor manner is unacceptable. Even great evils like rape and murder aren't exactly a reason to put someone in what looks like a dungeon, though criminals like that ought to have much greater limitations in prison.

    I believe incarceration does not justify being put into an unhealthy state of living. After all, is that not where so much crime comes from? Privation is never deserved.
     
    #4 Aussie792, Oct 13, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2014
  5. Randomcloud

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    It depends on what they did and what exactly the purpose of them being in prison is.

    Did they commit some petty crime or something drug-related and the aim during their time served is to be rehabilitated/educated so they can assimilate more easily into society? Or are they are mass murderer who is really there primarily for punishment... yeah, it does depend. I think someone who commits ruthless murders or something serious with aggravating circumstances should not have a lot of rights that regular people enjoy (ie. access to TV, "good" food..) but if it's clear that someone wants to redeem themselves and change then they should be treated in a way that won't make them hate authority more and want to commit more crimes.

    A really simplistic view haha but yeah...
     
  6. Ryujin

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    I think they should be afforded all human rights but civil rights should be limited depending on the crime.
     
  7. Hexagon

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    All of them. Other than those that, by definition, must be restricted, such as the right to freedom. Since you know, they wouldn't be prisoners otherwise.
     
  8. BryanM

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    I think it depends case by case. Obviously you aren't going to say to someone who was a nonviolent drug offender to rot or to fry them, and you aren't going to let a serial murderer who killed 8 people and chopped them up into salads and ate them have all of the priveleges enjoyed by society and even other prisoners.

    All human rights as defined by the UN should be granted, however.
     
  9. Nikky DoUrden

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    I believe in democarcies they already figured it out, there are some rights they have and some they don't..
    One thing I dont understand is the right to procreate for people who murdered and or those kind of high-profile crimes, but maybe its just me >.>
     
  10. Kriskluwe

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    A society is judged by how it treats it's prisoners .....
     
  11. Nikky DoUrden

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    What u say can go both ways!
    Should u give them complete freedom ? then crime groups wont mind doing crimes, they know that at most they'll go to prison for 1 year with a lot of benefits, and when they'll get out they'll have their gang paying them some sum of money for serving their time, they'll live life a luxary! Just need to threat some people and maybe do some killing, but hey, thats the fun part!
    In other words - punishment to discourage crime at the least, no ?
     
  12. Aussie792

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    Even a humane prison isn't going to be luxurious. If a country is in a situation where prison is more comfortable than everyday life, then I think they've got bigger problems than how prisoners are treated.
     
  13. Kriskluwe

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    It is fairly clear . There's no need for qualifiers .

    ---------- Post added 13th Oct 2014 at 04:15 AM ----------

    And ye, pretty much it can go both ways . Just like a society can choose to be good or evil in it's edicts .
     
  14. SpaceSuit

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    I think that violent and repeat offenders have forfeit their access to certain rights (the primary of which is freedom to offend again) though I believe they should be treated humanely.
     
  15. happydavid

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    It would depend on the crime
     
  16. ChameleonSoul

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    I don't think that those who commit misdemeanors should be treated as if they're some horrible person and should be given the means to make an honest living, but murderers, rapists, etc. should be given very few rights, if any. I know I sound sadistic, but the justice system and prisoners' rights are very personal to me, so I probably have a very biased and cynical opinion on the matter.
     
  17. asdfghjk

    asdfghjk Guest

    a ps3


    ps4 might be pushing it?
     
  18. AwesomGaytheist

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    They have the right to live in humane conditions. One of the reasons Texas executes so many innocent people is because the conditions are so brutal-a cell the size of a parking space and 100+ degree temperatures-that they'll drop their appeals and basically volunteer to be executed as they feel that death is better than living in your own personal hell on earth.

    Even aside from that, I don't believe the "Prison is supposed to be a punishment" excuse for having inhumane conditions. Here in Michigan, ever since they started privatizing prison staff, there have been maggots found in food in prisons all over the state, and privately-employed guards having sex with the inmates. In California, conditions at several prisons have actually been declared unconstitutional due to overcrowding and living conditions.

    Prisons should be heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer. Prisoners should be fed nutritious and sanitary food, but nothing more luxurious than that. They should be given educational opportunities and the state should do its best to rehabilitate them, as using prison as punishment instead of rehabilitation is the primary reason that prison is a revolving door so to speak. We see the evidence of this in the juvenile justice systems, where states like California that build prisons and fill them with kids see huge rates of recidivism both when they're kids and into adulthood, whereas states like Missouri that try to rehabilitate juvenile offenders, where the kids wear their own clothes and sleep in bunk beds, have lower recidivism rates.
     
    #18 AwesomGaytheist, Oct 13, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2014
  19. NingyoBroken

    NingyoBroken Guest

    People who killed and/or raped should be treated the worst and tortured.

    As for theives or sellers of drugs, their punishment should not be changed.
     
  20. imnotreallysure

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    All, in my opinion. Prison should be a place of rehabilitation first, punishment second, and I would never condone torture or inhumane living conditions -- on anyone.