In this thread we post our most :LIB: takes, and discuss whether that is the logical end point on a given topic or whether we need to lose that last bit of liberalism.

  • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
    hexagon
    ·
    4 years ago

    Scandinavian-style prisons sound great but it takes a lot of work to operate them.

    The prison linked above has a 1.7-to-1 prisoner-to-guard ratio; the ratio in U.S. state prisons is about 4.9-to-1. But note that this doesn't necessarily mean more total guards. If you reduce recidivism (as that prison appears to do) you reduce total prisoners and thus total guards, and so you might see an overall reduction in the guard total even with more guards per prisoner. You could further reduce the total guards needed by legalizing drugs and decriminalizing homelessness, among other policy changes.

    This circles the question of “how much are you going to invest into someone to reform them”.

    If we're really talking about "last resort" options, than the answer is "a lot." It's not really the last resort if you give up too easily. And we're not particularly close to real resource constraints on rehabilitation efforts; the question is solely whether we want to make those efforts or not.

    • infuziSporg [e/em/eir]
      ·
      4 years ago

      That's a good point. And I wasn't suggesting that we give up easily, only that there might still be a point where it wouldn't be worth it. Of course there would still be an option to return, but I suppose the marooning option would only be used for people who were resolutely opposed to adhering to the reciprocal foundations of society.

      • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
        hexagon
        ·
        4 years ago

        people who were resolutely opposed to adhering to the reciprocal foundations of society

        These people exist, and it's good to consider how any hypothetical justice system would handle them.