by Kevin C. Carr

Created on: July 24, 2009

The United States has the highest population of imprisoned citizens in the world. Why? Our legal system works. It works too well. It is a big business like Microsoft. It is a cash cow for the elite. And when I say the elite, I mean those who have the money to keep themselves out of prison for one reason or another. The question of this debate is moot. There is only one answer that is logical. No. Violence begets fear, pain, reprisal, and should be the only thing punishable by imprisonment.

Theft of any kind is still a crime. Take Madoff for example. His crime was heinous. Should he be imprisoned? No. He should be punished accordingly. Have his financial status stripped to the bone and every asset in his name liquidated to pay back those he stole from. Simply, make him poor. And, by law, keep him poor. And then institute laws to keep people like him from ever causing such hardship like that again. Restrict his spending. Punish the lifestyle and greed. But to imprison him is folly. For now the same citizens who paid so dearly with their life savings while he was free, are now forced to pay again to keep him imprisoned. Illogical.

Community service is the only way to make an impact on non-violent criminals. If you shoplift from a grocery store then that means you are hungry and poor. It is not a crime to be hungry. But society, as a whole, has deemed it a crime to be poor. Maybe not with those exact words. But definitely with the actions of our judicial system. You can make much more money off of the masses of poverty-stricken citizens than you can off of one millionaire. Why? There are more poor people than rich people. As long as there are poor who are unable to pay parking tickets, court fees, lawyer costs, and ridiculously legislated fines for one thing or another; there will always be prisons filled with poor innocents. And when I say innocents, I mean that. Anyone who creates a disturbance with violence is not innocent. Yet, someone, like a police officer who ends a disturbance with violence is no more innocent than the one instigating the violence. Violence is violence. Sometimes it is necessary for our law officers to institute, in order to ensure security. But only in defense.

To imprison a thief, beggar, parking violator, or harmless miscreant of any kind is non-productive, hurts the economy, and breeds anger, rage, and violence as well.

I know, for a fact. That if I was ever imprisoned for something as trivial as forgetting to pay a parking ticket. And I was thrown into prison with violent criminals, raped, beaten, and survived my sentence; that my rage at the society that imprisoned me would be insurmountable. Would I turn to violence? I would hope not. I am not and never have been a violent person. But I cannot say how the horrific experience would have an affect on my psychological make-up unless I was put into that position. It might very well make a monster of me, God Forbid. And if it did make a monster out of me, it would be of no fault of my own. The punishment did not suit the crime. Hence, the new crime created by such a travesty would, in the butterfly effect, create new and unavoidable hardships and suffering within the society. Society's ignorance and misunderstanding of logic and true justice would then be clouded by fear of reprisal.

So, as it were, to punish a non-violent criminal with imprisonment with truly violent and non-repentant criminals is not only morally unjust, but just downright foolish.

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