Bill Whitaker reports on the German prison system which emphasizes rehabilitation rather than punishment and allows convicts an astonishing amount of freedom.

Video:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-germany-prisons-crime-and-punishment/

Wow. Not bad digs at all.

...Almost too nice?

Studies support that punitive punishment, especially the American prison system, does much of nothing to prevent recidivism. However, I'm not sure our country truly wants to prevent recidivism; the prison industry makes tons of money based off of how many people they can lock up.

I think that there should be a 2 tiered approach to the prison system.

I have no problem with working to rehab most convicts. However, those who have callously murdered others, or those behind the sale of huge quantities of drugs that destroy so many lives, should never be released to harm their fellow citizens ever again.

Just asking, because I don't know, but how does the prison system make money from locking people up? Don't the tax payers foot the bill?

Here ya go, Eve... 'getting your learn on' starts here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/postevery...-talking-about/

And sex offenders... they are at or near the bottom for me.

And I'm not talking about the folks that were walking home drunk and stopped to take a leak near an elementary school at 2 am... or the 22 year old that's dating a 17 year old in a consenting relationship.. I'm talking about REAL sex offenders.. I have no remorse for them at all.

Quote from the parole board in the movie Shawshank Redemption

“Do you consider yourself ‘rehabilitated?’”

It’s so hard to balance rehabilitation with punishment.

I do not like seeing Michael Skakel free (He was the “Kennedy” kid that murdered Martha Moxley when they were 15 year-olds in 1975).

I want to see him rot in prison. But that’s because I viewed him as a spoiled-rotten, privileged punk. I hate seeing him free. His wealthy parents managed to keep him out of prison for a long-time.

But he has served 20 years. I’m not familiar with his behavior in prison.

That's the double standard you see in our nation.

Just Us for people who can afford good attorneys....

And Justice for everyone else....

I wondered what the recidivism rate is for sex offenders (like you mentioned) in Germany, then I wandered onto this article from 2012:

http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/179189/prison-or-castration-for-sex-offenders-in-germany-russia/

You also almost never hear about weed users/dealers serving life sentences in Germany.

But ya know, we gotta keep Gods plant illegal and the man made stuff legal.

Child Molesters... Oh yeah, they are right up there near the top for me.