darkknight109 posted... If that's the case - and, for the record, I don't think that's true in many cases - then why are they out of prison? The entire point of prison is to be the place we put people who have caused harm until they are no longer a danger to society. If they are still a danger when they get out, we have failed at our job to rehabilitate them and/or they need to be kept in there longer; if they aren't a danger, then why are we still treating them like they are?
This is one of the reasons I don't like sex offender registries. They don't work (I have seen zero evidence that such registries keep people safe or prevent recidivism; in fact, by most metrics, the opposite appears to be true); they prevent people from reintegrating into society and, therefore, maximize their chances that they will once again turn to crime; they are applied way too liberally (you can wind up on one for something as innocuous as public urination) and there is almost no way off of them once you're on them; and they're basically a continual punishment on someone after their sentence is supposed to be served.
If someone's debt to society is paid after a prison sentence, then that should be the end of their punishment and they should be equipped with the tools/support to maximize their chances at a successful reintegration into society; if we think someone's debt is not paid and/or they're still a danger, they need to stay locked up. These half-measures serve no one - they don't make society safer and they don't help felons become productive members of their communities.
i couldn't agree more. Why aren't there registries for convicted murderers? where the public can look up that stuff?