On Thu, Apr 8, 2010 at 8:28 AM, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > Here is the thing Don. > > Yes he is now disabled and in need of health care. Should he be > denied it because he is a criminal? >
Like you say, it's probably more punishment to keep him alive as long as possible. Feed him, clean him, give him meds and turn him so he doesn't get bed sores etc. But no computer, no internet, no interesting tv. -(put it on BBC or something equally as bone numbingly boring) and so forth. So. My answer is he should not be denied healthcare. ;-D dj > On 8 Apr, 14:09, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > He needs his access to the internet restricted. He can still do plenty > of > > damage if given free rein on this medium. Keep the slime bag locked up. > > He'd still be a burden on society if you cut him loose. We'd have to > > provide transportation, nurse care, blah, blah, blah. The best place for > > him is locked up. > > > > dj > > > > > > > > On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 9:48 AM, Drafterman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Not sure how on topic this is, but consider the following thought > > > experiment: > > > > > A man commits a series of various heinous and grevious crimes (murder, > > > rape, etc), such that he gets life in prison (though parole is not off > > > the table). > > > > > During his imprisonment, a confrontation with a fellow inmate results > > > in the man becoming paralyzed from the neck down. > > > > > At his parole, one of the primary considerations is how much of a > > > threat the man poses to society. As a quadriplegic, he poses minimal > > > threat. He is, however, completely unrepentant about his crime and his > > > state of mind is still that of a viscious killer. > > > > > Another consideration is that, above and beyond the cost to society of > > > keeping someone imprisoned for life, he now has intense medical care > > > that the state must absorb. > > > > > With these considerations, should he be released on parole? > > > > > The core of this lies in the philosophical underpinnings of > > > incarceration. Is the primary function of prison to punish? To > > > rehabilitate? To simply isolate society from dangerous elements? > > > > > It seems clear that rehabilitation is off the table. Furthermore, it > > > seems unlikely that prison would provide more punishment then him > > > simply being paralyzed. In fact, if released he would have to account > > > for his own medical costs, probably resulting in worse care. Being > > > free may be more punishing tham keeping him in prison where he has > > > guaranteed medical care, shelter and food. As a quadriplegic, he is > > > also a minimal threat to society. (I say minimal because such people > > > have managed to commit crimes, but the rate is as probably as low as > > > you are going to get for any person). > > > > > I feel this situation reveals an underlying paradox. In most > > > situations, people would espouse the utilitarian aspect of prison: it > > > reduces harm to society by acting as a deterrant through the threat > > > and enactment of punishment, isolating threats from society, and > > > rehabilitating people so they are less of a threat if and when they > > > reenter society. > > > > > What is often underplayed is the emotional aspect. If a person shows > > > genuine remorse at a crime committed, they are generally treated as > > > being less of a threat. This makes sense since not all crimes are acts > > > of malice. A person that genuinely feels guilt *is* less of a threat > > > and should be treated as such. But this association remains valid only > > > when there is a tie between a person's mindset and their ability to > > > commit a crime. When that tie is severed, a person's emotional state > > > no longer represents their potential to be threatening and can no > > > longer be used in this manner. The paradox arises from the fact that > > > most people would continue to use emotional state as requirement for > > > release and would recoil at letting an unrepentent killer be freed > > > from prison. > > > > > Notes: > > > > > This situation is an based on an actual case - > > >http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/C061031.PDFthough some > > > elements have been generalized for this philosophical exercise. To > > > summarize the actual case, the prisoner was attemtping to involve a > > > special statute that allows prisoners to be released under > > > "compassionate" consideration if certain conditions apply (terminal > > > illness, medically incapacitated or otherwise no longer a threat due > > > to medical condition). The parole board denied the claim under the > > > ruling that quadriplegics can still pose a threat, as evidenced by > > > several intances they were able to find. A court overturned that > > > ruling on the basis that, on a long enough time line you can find > > > instances of anyone being a threat and the statute does not require > > > that a person be no threat what-so-ever. A superior court then > > > overturned the lower courts ruling, so it would appear that the man > > > remains in jail. > > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > > ""Minds Eye"" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]<minds-eye%[email protected]> > <minds-eye%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > > . > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > ""Minds Eye"" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<minds-eye%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
