Should prisons be abolished?

Prison abolitionism is an ongoing debate globally, but in American society in particular. Prisons were first created to punish the guilty for their crimes and protect the innocent from harm. Now, some are creating rehabilitation programs to help the incarcerated have a better life after being released. Are prison systems effective, and would abolishing them be beneficial for society?

Yes, prisons should be abolished

We would be building a more ethical system and releasing offenders as citizens able to be positively reintegrated into society.

Prisons are immoral

If life was valued within prisons, then criminals would be less likely to hurt or take it away from others.

Private prisons earn profit from incarceration

Private prison systems operate with the goal of earning the most profit first and properly caring for inmates second. Consequently, this results in massive continuous budget cuts, making the prison and unsafe environment.

Prisons do not work

Many offenders have been incarcerated multiple times, proving prisons do not work as an effective punishment or part of society.

No, prisons should not be abolished

Prisons are crucial to protecting the lives of innocent people.

Prison is a scare tactic

Prison is a looming threat that keeps most people from acting out or committing crimes.

Prisons do work

Prisons separate criminals from the rest of the population to ensure the safety of innocent people.

Prisons should be reformed

Prisons and criminal justice systems worldwide, but especially in the United States, have numerous flaws and injustices. These flaws need correction for positive change to manifest within prisons and see a decrease in repeat offenders.

Offenders need support to keep from recidivism

In order to lower crime rates, inmates need help and guidance in order to prevent recidivism and break the cycle of crime.

The prison system targets people of color

There is an enormous amount of racial disparity in the prison system, specifically the United State's in particular.

The current prison system is not effective

The current prison systems are not effective in lowering crime or recidivism rates and therefore should be reformed.
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This page was last edited on Tuesday, 12 May 2020 at 21:26 UTC