Pubdate: Thu, 20 Oct 2005
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2005 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Michael Carey

REHABILITATION THE KEY

Lindor Reynolds' column on the tragic death of Philippe Haiart highlights a 
very important message -- a total lack of understanding of the criminal 
justice system.

On more than one occasion Ms. Reynolds has cried out for longer sentences 
for criminals, demanding that the courts do more to send a message to those 
who would seize control of our city.

I doubt Ms. Reynolds has ever taken a criminology course, so I offer this 
free education. Harsher sentences do not deter criminals. Period. End of 
story. You could hand out a life sentence to everyone who gave you a funny 
look, and crime would not go down. Coincidentally, this has been tried in 
several states down south. The "three strikes and you're out" rule -- which 
allows a person to commit any three felonies before he or she is handed a 
life sentence, regardless of the crime -- has not had a tangible effect.

In California, for example, the prisons now overflow with inmates, and yet 
crime rates have not gone down. In studies carried out in adjacent states 
where one has the death sentence and the other does not, the state with the 
death sentence never has a lower crime rate than the other state and 
usually, in fact, has a higher one. For years, study after study has 
concluded that harsher penalties do not cause crime to fall. Ms. Reynolds 
is right about one thing. The system as it is has problems. However, her 
archaic solution is not, and will never be the answer. Rehabilitation 
offers a much more successful alternative to incarceration, especially when 
it comes to gang violence.

Putting a man in prison will only strengthen his ties to crime and criminal 
organizations. Taking him away from that world and showing him how to 
function without it will only help him to stay away from crime. It may not 
always work, but at least it's not guaranteed to fail.

MICHAEL CAREY

Winnipeg
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