Prisons, Essay Example

Courts usually practice different types of penalties for various kinds of crimes such as fines, jail sentence, corporal punishment, etc. Jail sentence is one of the most popular methods to discipline criminals my means of limitation of their freedom, forced jobs, and strict control over their lives. Are prisons effective as a form of correction?

To answer this question one should compare jail sentence with alternative legal penalties. Fines or corporal punishment are not applicable ways of punishment when it goes about theft of murder. Considering various degrees of the crimes, people need to understand that most of the criminals are simply too dangerous to live among ordinary people. However, the purpose of prisons is not only to become a barrier between offenders and citizens, but also to form person’s personality one more time. In fact, through severe control jail sentence makes criminals analyze their crimes. As this is not a kind of pleasant activity, prisons are effective as they show what are the consequences of illegal actions. Once person has committed a crime means that he is not afraid of breaking the law. There is no other option as to show him on practice that unlawful deeds are penalized severely. Limited space, locks, and other criminals affect person’s perception on the psychological level. Prisons are effective tools of correction as they allow influencing offenders without any physical force by simply putting several strict rules.

Reference

Bergman, P. (2007) The Criminal Law Handbook: Know Your Rights, Survive the System. (Ed. 9) Published by Nolo, USA.