> We don't have the kind and extent of unjust laws that would give me the ability to care one iota about people who are stupid, desperate or boneheaded enough to break them.
Just because someone broke a law doesn't mean they should lose all of their rights. The reason for various levels of penalty (from a fine, to some prison time, to life in prison, to execution) is so the penalty can be proportionate to the crime. By extending your reasoning, one might conclude it is fine to execute every single prisoner. After all, they are criminals.
I have heard people say that prison rape isn't a bad thing, because those getting raped are criminals anyway. Do you agree with that?
All of this ignores the more practical matter of reintegration upon release and the message we are sending to the loved ones of prisoners. If the systems society has set up were exploiting them, can we really expect them to then have faith that trying to work with society will help? The same goes for their loved ones. They see the same unfairness in the system, will they feel like society is fair? like it pays to do what society wants?
> I have heard people say that prison rape isn't a bad thing, because those getting raped are criminals anyway. Do you agree with that?
The victims being criminals makes the "is it a bad thing?" question all-but-irrelevant. I would have thought that obvious.
> All of this ignores the more practical matter of reintegration upon release and the message we are sending to the loved ones of prisoners. If the systems society has set up were exploiting them, can we really expect them to then have faith that trying to work with society will help? The same goes for their loved ones. They see the same unfairness in the system, will they feel like society is fair? like it pays to do what society wants?
It is unnecessary to make people feel like it pays to do what society wants (as true as that may be), as long as they feel like it hurts to do what society abhors.
> The victims being criminals makes the "is it a bad thing?" question all-but-irrelevant. I would have thought that obvious.
So summary execution of every criminal ever would be fine?
I really don't follow your reasoning here. You seem to hold that criminals are essentially not human, and not due any consideration. If so, I don't see us coming to a resolution.
Just because someone broke a law doesn't mean they should lose all of their rights. The reason for various levels of penalty (from a fine, to some prison time, to life in prison, to execution) is so the penalty can be proportionate to the crime. By extending your reasoning, one might conclude it is fine to execute every single prisoner. After all, they are criminals. I have heard people say that prison rape isn't a bad thing, because those getting raped are criminals anyway. Do you agree with that?
All of this ignores the more practical matter of reintegration upon release and the message we are sending to the loved ones of prisoners. If the systems society has set up were exploiting them, can we really expect them to then have faith that trying to work with society will help? The same goes for their loved ones. They see the same unfairness in the system, will they feel like society is fair? like it pays to do what society wants?