Punishment...

So as an interesting note, not only is this blog almost on time, but it being done means that I am finally caught up with all the blogs...bound to happen sometime I suppose.

If a person does something that society deems wrong, they should encounter consequences. Not every societal mistake needs a punishment, but norms are the tools used to regulate society as a whole, and should be followed to an extent for ease of life, right? Criminals break norms to a greater degree than the schmuck who puts his pants on backward though. They threaten society as a whole, and should be dealt a set of consequences matching their infractions against peace. What we do currently doesn't do that. So without further ado, Sean Nolan's What Should Be Done With Criminals.
Prisons suck. I would hate to be in one, so I may not be the best person to comment on their running/set-up, but they suck. To be in and in the way they are run. They don't particularly punish those placed in them, and it is all too easy for guilty persons to avoid them, and innocent persons to be thrown in. Though I wouldn't want to go to jail (I like collecting 200$ every go around, thank you very much!) after some thought it should be easy to realize that modern prisons in most first-world countries are little more than under glorified hotels, where the customers stay free. And everyone else pays for them...
So the first thing to happen in my new prison system is that the free part changes. Well, it doesn't change so much as become...less painful for the taxpayers. Get rid of the TVs, recreation, Internet, college courses, and elective activities. Make it a hole. You killed someone? And you're telling me that while you're in jail you want to check your Facebook? Not a chance. You do, however get a 5 by 5 cell complete with concrete blocks, and cot. Now give all prisoners a choice between this cell, and joining a new branch of the military. Throw those that don't join in one of the cells and feed them three times a day for the duration of the time they need to serve, or until the world forgets their existence. Now use this new military division to launch an invasion of every country we are at war in after a training period of 4-6 months. We will win those wars, and thereby end the financial strain on taxpayers due to two simultaneous wars and inefficient prison systems. This money goes back into the economy as people celebrate, and that becomes fixed as well. Now that I've solved all of America's problems in one fell swoop, I'm going to start a new warhammer army that has been inspired by my senseless ranting....Penal Legion LXVII...