Prison System Debate

Commenters debate the purpose of prisons as punishment versus rehabilitation, the inhumane conditions and effects of incarceration, and alternatives like reform or abolition.

📉 Falling 0.3x Politics & Society
4,502
Comments
19
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#8934
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2008
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2018
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Keywords

US XYZ HN theatlantic.com ycombinator.com justdetention.org prison prisons jail criminals crimes torture prisoners punishment incarceration prisoner

Sample Comments

kevingadd Jul 4, 2013 View on HN

Our prison population seems to disagree with you.

bigbillheck Jan 18, 2024 View on HN

Why's it any worse than being any other kind of person in prison?

boomboomsubban Nov 4, 2020 View on HN

It's hard to believe it will harm them more than imprisonment.

taneq Sep 1, 2018 View on HN

Prisoners have probably done something to deserve it?

kashkhan Nov 13, 2016 View on HN

prison is inhuman punishment. it doesn't stop or correct crime. and in return causes huge social problems.

zzzeek Jun 10, 2022 View on HN

is this everyone on HN's first time reading that prison is not very good for people? kids get longer sentences for stealing candy bars. the entire prison system is state organized torture and it basically shouldn't exist.

kennywinker May 10, 2017 View on HN

Maybe we use prisons for punishment, not rehabilitation.

pc2g4d Mar 9, 2018 View on HN

"not everybody in jail deserves humane treatment"Maybe this attitude is part of why they're in jail in the first place.

saagarjha Apr 28, 2024 View on HN

Arguing for extrajudicial punishment in prison for criminals as being good, actually is pretty wild

zie Aug 22, 2018 View on HN

That's what prison is. Well it's not supposed to be that, but it's sort of ended up that way, if you look at it from a certain perspective. see: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17812292. Doesn't seem to be working out very well.