It would be ideal to have a society where no one is locked up. However, in a real functional society, you need enough deterrents for crimes. How would you achieve that without incarceration? I don't think that treating everything as a civil wrong that only requires restitution to the victims would work well.

I don't really have the answers. I just know the current system is inhumane and draconian.

You could live in anarchy, devoid of society. Anarchy because it has no structure, would probably fail.

Or as you mentioned, civil as oppose to criminal charges. Not dissimilar to parts of the Thai justice system, if you have money. In my view the most appropriate form of punishment. If not enough funds to cover costs and victim compensation (or in addition to payments), restorative justice is considered, similar to community-service type sentences.

The problem with dealing with everything civilly is the same problem that plagues the Thai justice system -- the rich have license to violate the law. You could charge people proportionally to their wealth, but I really doubt this would work. In any case, I don't see an alternative to incarceration at the moment.

Wrong convictions are common.

A friend's 14 year old Thai nephiew was charged with theft of a gold necklace. He went to visit his nephiew and found him hanging by his wrists, with wires attached to his legs. He was unsuccessful art getting him released and 'interrogation' proceeded for another day, when the complainant found her gold necklace and he was released.

In traffic, my wife was cut off by a motorbike, with the obvious result of a crash - many witnesses, including a policeman - the motorbike was destroyed and the rider (without helmet) hospitalized. In any western country the motorbike rider would have been charged.

My wife had to meet with the judge a half dozen times and bargained over the bribe, but after the bribe was paid, she received papers for a minor traffic infraction..

So yes, those who have the money to bribe do not go to jail.

They shouldn't have committed crimes......no prison anywhere is meant to be like the Hilton!

Thank-you. I thought I was pretty anal as a uniformed cop years ago when on occasion getting caught up in the us against them mob mentality. It's good to know that I'm not completely alone with the hole attitude about which side of the bars and law we might find the bigger criminals on.

Keep the faith and keep them all chained and shackled on road gangs to learn that nothing in the world comes without a cost.

you sound like a pathetic person.....really!

For all the bleeding hearts out there there should be an adopt a con system. Where you can adopt a con into your own household for the term of his/her sentence. Then you can teach it yoga psycho-analize it and turn it into a responsible human being. I'm sure you'd have great fun. If it rapes or kills members of your family I'm sure you can figure it out. My advise and I'm sure you don't want to hear it is just keep handing candy through the bars and convince yourself your buying your stairway to heaven.

For all the bleeding hearts out there there should be an adopt a con system. Where you can adopt a con into your own household for the term of his/her sentence. Then you can teach it yoga psycho-analize it and turn it into a responsible human being. I'm sure you'd have great fun. If it rapes or kills members of your family I'm sure you can figure it out. My advise and I'm sure you don't want to hear it is just keep handing candy through the bars and convince yourself your buying your stairway to heaven.

That's a bit like my post that I haven't posted yet. Thanks for saving my typing finger the trouble!

I can't beleive this part about the old people doing time for their kids,this has to be bs,surely.

It would be ideal to have a society where no one is locked up. However, in a real functional society, you need enough deterrents for crimes. How would you achieve that without incarceration? I don't think that treating everything as a civil wrong that only requires restitution to the victims would work well.

I don't really have the answers. I just know the current system is inhumane and draconian.

You could live in anarchy, devoid of society. Anarchy because it has no structure, would probably fail.

Or as you mentioned, civil as oppose to criminal charges. Not dissimilar to parts of the Thai justice system, if you have money. In my view the most appropriate form of punishment. If not enough funds to cover costs and victim compensation (or in addition to payments), restorative justice is considered, similar to community-service type sentences.

I'm trying to get my head around what you are talking about.

Perhaps you need to see some violent crime, the victims of that. Have you ever seen someone with their throat slit? What about a woman that's been beaten to a pulp and sexually abused? Children that have been abused? What about people terrorised in a violent armed hold up? What abou a car full of dead people after some drunk idiot has smashed his car into their car after he sped recklessly down the road ? I could go on. After you've seen something like this, come and tell us about inhumane & draconian.

Makes me sick all the doo gooders out there that are so damn well concerned about offenders and their rights. Offenders in many places already have it too easy.

There's some people that just need to be locked up. Some people arnt suitable to be in the community, they are evil.

Personally I will save my sympathy for those who deserve it.

Wrong convictions are common.

A friend's 14 year old Thai nephiew was charged with theft of a gold necklace. He went to visit his nephiew and found him hanging by his wrists, with wires attached to his legs. He was unsuccessful art getting him released and 'interrogation' proceeded for another day, when the complainant found her gold necklace and he was released.

In traffic, my wife was cut off by a motorbike, with the obvious result of a crash - many witnesses, including a policeman - the motorbike was destroyed and the rider (without helmet) hospitalized. In any western country the motorbike rider would have been charged.

My wife had to meet with the judge a half dozen times and bargained over the bribe, but after the bribe was paid, she received papers for a minor traffic infraction..

So yes, those who have the money to bribe do not go to jail.

Agreed. No system is perfect.

Well it may not be perfect here but being in jail is preferable,than having your head chopped off,or hands or feet,or stoned to death.