From: Charlie Stross <charlie@antipope.org>
>Er, no. We're discussing people who are in prison. They're in
>prison because a negative reinforcement -- threat of imprisonment
>-- didn't prevent them committing offenses while they were *out*
>of prison. Why should threatening them with a negative
>reinforcement work while they're *inside*?
They're in prison because they decided the possibility of being
incarcerated was lower than it actually is. Negative reinforcement
is used in jail already, its called solitary.
>There are several reasons why people end up in prison. One is that
>they may be participating in a victimless crime -- one that I
>assume everybody on this list agrees *shouldn't* be a crime, but
>is -- and they get careless or unlucky. (I'm going to ignore this
>category, with the caveat that it could be my turn next -- or
>yours.)
I agree to skip so called victimless crimes, I do not engage in any
behavior which if discovered could result in incarceration so thats
null as well.
>Another is that they've got poor impulse control and act stupidly
>(and illegally) on the spur of the moment. This latter group isn't
>going to stop acting on impulse just because they've been plonked
>into a new environment. However, if we can try to train them to
>consistently work towards a long-term goal, we may be able to
>improve their impulse control. Guess what: trying to qualify for
>early release has got to be a valid goal for a
>prisoner! So there's one category of criminal who may find the
>opportunity for parole to be a major incentive to reform.
I agree, which is why I suggested we set up a voluntary program
where they can work, and work hard on their rehabilitation. I
disagree on parole being used to ensure passive behavior.
>The only problem here is that it sounds like parole is automatic,
>in the system you're describing. The system *I'm* describing is
>one where it isn't automatic: you qualify for it by good
>behaviour. Clear?
Yes, it is pretty much automatic the way it is enacted now. We
agree that early release is omething they must actively work for
and qualify for.
Clear?
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
Adler Planetarium www.adlerplanetarium.org
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That's something of course.
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