I have worked in both

I've never been to a prison for any reason but I can say 99% of prisoners are repeat offenders, belong where they're that at and have already had a second chance.

I taught high school math in a prison for a while. Not a fun place at all.

I actually worked ( for 28 years )in a dentetion center for the criminally insane for the State of New York Office Of Mental Health as a Sergeant in the Safety and security Department. Before that I worked for The NYS State ,Drug Addiction Control Commission in a prison that housed individuals convicted of drug related crimes .I have witnessed Unbelievable cruel treatment and abuse mostly in the early years of my employment involving beatings ,straitjackets ,punishment ,mental cruelty and things I do not care to mention .If you complained you would be set up by other employees that would possibly lead to loosing your job and pension . I once wrote a detailed letter about some of the atrocities and anonymously sent it to the Director and nothing was done . I did my best over the years to treat these individuals with dignity but was often looked at negatively by other officers

My best drinking buddy spent a year in a Texas Prison. He was a gentle good natured drunk when he went in. He was really scary when he got out. I know of one instance of him trying to commit cold blooded murder. He told me that the only way to survive on the inside was to be ready to kill someone 24/7.

I tried doing some voluntary work with alcoholics in prison. Two trips was all I could handle. I have tried visiting people in jail, all that concrete and steel bars, I can't handle it. I have been in too many jails and experience too much police abuse to ever be comfortable with any of that.

I have done a little voluntary work and visited friends in treatment centers. I had no problem with that. Punishment is for inflating our ego, treatment is for making things better.

calvinism is a ridiculous trend that will end before the century is out. crime is for the most part a mental illness and rehabilitation is achieved by helping rather than punishing.

visited a friend in a mental hospital. very scary in deed

My view on crime and punishment is as follows:

At some point we all reach adulthood and need to take accountability for our actions, regardless of our upbringing.

Let's compare Charles Manson to Gordon Ramsey. Both had horrible childhoods. Both are basically shit house rat crazy. One went on to become a cult leader who ordered the murder of innocents. The other grew up to become one of the finest chefs in the world.

Both reached a crossroads where they made a choice. Both most certainly have demons crawling around inside their heads. Both are also clearly apable of understanding the tenants of what society considers civilized behavior. One chose to ignore them. One chose to abide by them. One died a disgrace to humanity in prison. One is probably currently working on opening their latest five star restaurant.

This is as it should be.

I am in the uk and have visited people in prison, played gigs in a prison and even spent time in prison for a minor misdemeanor. It is a completely different thing here than in usa.

I have never visited a prison or correctional facility, although I've worked as a computer tech for the U.S. Border Patrol in the past, and occasionally saw illegals being held in temporary cells.

Yes, there are probably abuses that go on in these facilities, and that's reprehensible. But are these abuses rampant? I haven't seen data; only anecdotal evidence. I don't know if 99% of prisoners are "sorry"; that sounds like a high percentage. If they were sorry, perhaps they wouldn't have committed the crimes that got them into prison in the first place.