Good justice
For once, a punishment which they are trying to tailor to the crime. As every punishment should be. It's like bringing back the stocks, but work gets done at the same time.
Our Arizona readers who are thinking of getting behind the wheel after a few liveners are advised not to do it in Maricopa County, where you could end up on a chain gang, dressed in pink and burying deceased alcoholics for your trouble. Sheriff Joe Arpaio We kid you not: that's how Joe Arpaio (right), dubbed "America's …
Instead of the repeated focus groups, surveys and expensive consultants, the government should offer sheriff Joe whatever he wants as a salary and let him sort out the UK justice system...ok it might require an all out purge of the judiciary given the majority are either senile or hand wringers who live in la la land where criminals are "misunderstood" and "in need of a sympathetic ear".
The reality is Britain needs to come down hard on those who risk other peoples well being - assualt, DUI and any other violent crime. Ditch the speed limit on the motorway replace it with stiffer penalties for unsafe driving and unroadworthy vehicles.
Also stop jailing people who forget to pay the TV License / Council Tax etc at worst just garnish their wages.
Lastly build some detox padded cells, stop the methadone nonsense and let the addicts go cold turkey, then the chain gang. Might turn more of them into useful human beings rather than a drain on society.
Don't blame the judges. They apply the law as the government passes it. OK, I know there is scope in how it's applied and with case law but the blame you seek to apportion does not lie solely at their door. Sentence length is largely defined by the Sentencing Guidelines Council. Length can also depend on how full the prison system is. The fuller the prisons the less likely you are to get a long sentence or one at all.
He also banned their cable TV till that was overturned in court as it is a human right now. (americans) so he gave them national geographic and the weather channel ) or something equally dull. Because having cable doesn't have to mean all channels. And so they "can see how nice it is outside."
Also banned the gym and weights so they can't be stronger and more fit to commit crime when they get into the oustide world.
The tents and pink clothing was part of a long and excellent list.
Shame we can't have some of that here.
Seem to be in short supply today on El Reg.
Whilst getting prisoners to do useful work is laudable, simply humiliating them is not likely to achieve any useful purpose (by which I mean, to deter or prevent future crimes).
And the state where this is done has a high DUI rate. So maybe it doesn't work. Must be just a co-incidence, right?
(Heart icon should really be bleeding...)
...'Also stop jailing people who forget to pay the TV License / Council Tax etc at worst just garnish their wages.'
Nice theory, but where do you draw the line? I forgot to pay my car insurance - sorry you have to cover the cost of fixing your car? I forgot to pay my hotel bill for the 963rd time?
...'simply humiliating them is not likely to achieve any useful purpose (by which I mean, to deter or prevent future crimes).'
Actually, on the Isle of Wight, they introduced a pink school bus for unruly kids, I seem to remember them reporting that it was effective.
Wow has anybody visited the Maripoca sheriffs office website?
Its a mugshot haven and a phisher-mens dream! (Sorry)
Full names, photos, DOBs, Race, a run down of their crimes, you could pose as a shrrrff yourself with all this info! Yeee-haaaa.
Talk about privacy, it seems if u do DUI in the US you waive your right to it.
Cool tho, its like looking at americas most wanted on the FBI pages!
That reminds me, when I and a bunch of mates originally found out about the FBI americas most wanted list, we happened to recognise one of the felons on there, it was the spitting image of one of the support techys where we were. We were going to send his info to the FBI but we decided against it in the end in light of the recent stories of that hacker and his imminent extradition!
Actually, these sorts of ideas are used in several parts of the UK, it just wouldn't suit the Daily Mail to highlight that fact.
I used to live in an East Anglian city where 'yoof' on community service orders were formed into teams to remove graffiti; the usual practice was to get them to do it in their 'home' area, the humiliation proved to be an effective deterrent to further offending, and offending by their friends who did not want to experience the same treatment - a spell at Her Majesty's pleasure would not have had the same effect.
He's been in post since 1993, and the "DUI" offending rates have rocketed since then. So apparently this "return to old-fashioned values" doesn't work. I mean, that's the argument usually levelled at the "PC brigade" over here, that recent crime levels indicate their current approach isn't working. So applying the same logic, this approach doesn't work. The guy should be sacked.
Sheriff Joe is only after publicity, not justice or deterrance. His arrogance has cost the county millions in wrongful death lawsuits and other court costs. His recent fiascos ... search for "Phoenix New Times" with Arpaio and see what he expected a newspaper to turn over. And there's his decision to restrict "privileged" visiting hours to those hours when the lawyers and court-certified interpreters who make those visits are likely to be in court.
He's an ass. Unfortunately, he plays well to the media with sound bites. He is also taking credit for the combined work of several local cities where he doesn't have authority or responsibility. The County Sheriff is only responsible for parts of the county (Maricopa County, in Arizona) that are not part of a city. His territory is shrinking every month.
My wife and I spent a couple of months travelling from Miami to Big Sur three years ago and found that there is indeed a hard core of drivers (just the same as in other countries) who think nothing of driving in a somewhat fractured condition.
The highlight (low light ?) ? In a bar near Pascagoula enjoying a night with the friendly locals (a bloody good night, I must say - great hospitality) at the conclusion of which we were offered a lift back to our hotel..... Firstly, our hotel was two hundred yards away, it's a warm night, we want to walk. Secondly the guy is so drunk he would have failed even the most cursory of sobriety tests. Everyone in there was by British standards legally drunk, everone in the bar except ourselves was going to drive home.....
The guy described was doing nothing out of the ordinary, we saw a lot of this in the brief time we were away, he was the guy with the most trouble standing upright though.
To be honest I feel British cops have it relatively easy enforcing DUI legislation in comparison with our transatlantic friends, not least because of the comparative size of their territories in rural areas. It wouldn't be at all unusual in some areas of the States to see a handful of cops policing an area the size of somewhere compact..... like Wales for example.
Planning laws in many areas prevent the placing of entertainment/leisure facilities in residential areas. In any event many communities are far flung. In addition, public transport is next to none existent in many areas, or carries its own hazards, as a consequence, people predictably reach for the car keys on nights out, with obvious consequences.
Ya, it's supposed to be a way of stopping clothing theft, because nothing says "Fashion" like jail clothes. And real men don't wear pink, or something.
But, is that the real reason?
Who's better qualified than TheRegister to run a public servant's cross-dressing page? Got a picture of a public servant, politician, or uncle Frank wearing pink or a small handicap golfing guy wearing a really sexy black push-up bra? Post it.
Already we've got the Rudy G. photo album!
Anything featuring non-republicans? Charismatic religious types -- ya, we love 'em because they hate so much, and look damned sexy in stripes?
And stop sentances for not paying tv licences? But increase penalties for unroadworthy cars? And make junkies go cold turkey and then on a chain gang? Let me guess you have a fast car and want to go faster? You can't pick and choose the laws you like and don't like. Why should you not pay for the tv licence? Why should junkies be victimised any more than they already are? You read the Mail yeah? Tosser.
I was referring to non payment of council tax and tv license as they are both miniscule sums in comparison to the cost of jailing someone for several months, garnish their wages to recover the money first time. Next time garnish their wages and give them community clean up work wearing said pink shirt with some witty comment regarding their lazyness resulting in said community clean up work.
I also suggest crushing any vehicle with a "big bore" exhaust on it, and sacking any idiot police officer who claims "the owner said its road legal so it must be" (yes I have heard that from the lazy a**ed coppers round here when they couldnt be bothered to deal with some middle aged muppet with a tarted up toyota who thought it was fun to set my car alarm off 3 or 4 times a night by blipping the throttle and dumping the clutch as he rolled passed. "My wife's foot keeps slipping off the clutch pedal".....yeah 35 times?.....hmmm wonder who his buddy on the force is?
@ Ferry Boat
If the prisons are full, build some more, whether traditional bricks and mortar (expensive) or tent city with 10+ feet of barbed and possibly electrified wire surrounding it (cheap and with the aid of a few guard towers makes the prisoners easy to keep an eye on)
I'm sure a spell in a tent during a winter cold spell would be enough to put most crims off the idea of going back to jail....particularly if a warm sleeping bag was a privilege not a right.
The pink underwear came about as I recall due to the prisoners habit of smuggling it out prison to sell (yes American crims are weird clearly) to the tune of tens of thousands of $$ worth every year. Since it started being pink, thefts have seemingly dropped to nil or virtually nil.
I received an email a while back about this guy and how great he was. After receiving this email, I decided to do a little research to determine exactly how effective Sheriff Arpaio’s tactics are. After all, his approach makes common sense. Surely this get-tough strategy must have reduced crime more than the “coddle-the-offenders” approach used elsewhere.
Short version: Arpaio has served during a time when violent crime decreased in localities comparable to Maricopa County, yet under his tenure violent crime has *increased* there. In fact, violent crime in the city of Phoenix (which is inside the county but not under the sheriff's jurisdiction) declined while it was increasing in areas for which the sheriff was responsible.
Through my research, I discovered some interesting facts. First of all, Maricopa County, Arizona, is home to an estimated 3.6 million people, making it the fourth largest county in the United States by population, comparable in size to Harris County, Texas (3.7 million people, third largest county), Orange County, California (3 million people, fifth largest county), and San Diego County, California (2.9 million people, sixth largest county). Like Harris County, Texas, and San Diego County, California, Maricopa County is home to a large city (Phoenix, AZ). With a population of approximately 1.5 million people, Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the United States. For comparison, Harris County, TX is home to Houston (1.9 million residents), whereas San Diego County, CA is rather obviously home to San Diego (1.3 million residents).
So at first it looked as though Sheriff Arpaio had his hands full. However, the city of Phoenix has its own police force. In fact, in 2004 the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office reported jurisdiction over only 289,962 residents. I therefore decided to compare the crime statistics reported by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to those reported from eight other localities, those being as follows: the city of Phoenix, AZ, the city of San Diego, CA, the county of San Diego, CA exclusive of the city, the city of Houston, TX, the county of Harris, TX exclusive of Houston, Pima County, AZ, and the United States as a whole. I included Pima County, AZ, because it is adjacent to Maricopa County and the population under the jurisdiction of its sheriff is nearly identical to that of Maricopa County, although I expected some differences because it sits right on the border with Mexico and is in general less affluent than Maricopa County. I included the U.S. as a whole as a baseline.
I gathered statistics on violent crime and property crime from 1985 to 2004 for each of these eight areas. In order to judge Sheriff Arpaio’s methods, I calculated the change in the rate of violent crime and property crime in each locality from 1992 (Arpaio’s first year in office) to 2004. The results were enlightening.
Maricopa County did indeed have the lowest rates of both violent crime and property crime throughout the sampled period. However, the county was the only locality to experience an increase in the rate of violent crime during the period. While violent crime decreased by 39.3% in the city of Phoenix, it increased by 16.1% under the sheriff’s watch. Property crime in the county decreased during the period, but the rate of decrease was less than that of any other locality sampled.
In summary, I found that, not only are Sheriff Arpaio’s tent cities not working as well as I had expected, but law enforcement in general in Maricopa County seems to be less effective than in any other locality sampled, and with respect to violent crime may actually be counterproductive.
References available upon request etc.
Maricopa County DUI stats show the same very slow decline as other AZ counties, less of a decline than some, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. "At least he's taking a new approach" has never worked as a defence of those experimenting with community sentencing and rehabilitation techniques, so I don't see why your back-to-basics guy deserves that get-out clause.
I'm just saying let's judge people by results, instead of turning these publicity-seeking sheriffs into hometown heroes for policies that might sound good but apparently don't do much good.
"Talk about privacy, it seems if u do DUI in the US you waive your right to it."
Sadly, as their own website rather amusingly points out (you get the feeling that they do so through firmly gritted teeth) none of the people whose details are splashed all over the site have been found guilty of doing anything wrong at all.
But then, what do other people's rights matter when this guy can ponce around loving himself for his celebrity 'toughest cop in town' status?
@Oh noes, not the pink
Well said! Makes you wonder about this guy's own repressions if he spends his days dressing people in pink and pondering on their underwear...
I find it rather frustrating that so many reg readers feel the need to whinge about 'human rights muppets'. God forbid some of us might be concerned with the welfare of people other than themselves!
"<i>I also suggest crushing any vehicle with a "big bore" exhaust on it, and sacking any idiot police officer who claims "the owner said its road legal so it must be" (yes I have heard that from the lazy a**ed coppers round here when they couldnt be bothered to deal with some middle aged muppet with a tarted up toyota who thought it was fun to set my car alarm off 3 or 4 times a night by blipping the throttle and dumping the clutch as he rolled passed. "My wife's foot keeps slipping off the clutch pedal".....yeah 35 times?.....hmmm wonder who his buddy on the force is?</i>"
Yeah let's totally change the law to get that one guy who pissed you off and destroy a lot of people's private property whether they abuse it or not.
Tell you what; because my mate was beaten senseless with a brick last year, let's have the police confiscate all bricks, starting with the ones in your house.
He's nothing more than a publicity hound with an ego the size of Texas. His "get tough" shtick serves only to get his name in the paper. I'm shocked to see how many of you support this bozo. Unfortunately, a majority in Maricopa county feel the same way and he will certainly be re-elected. I suspect if you knew more you would feel very different about the man.
He tried to subpoena detailed information about every visitor to the Phoenix New Times website from Jan 1st 2004 to present because they had the nerve to print his home address (which can also be found on the Arizona Corporation Commission website). See this article...
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2007-10-18/news/breathtaking-abuse-of-the-constitution
"The pink underwear came about as I recall due to the prisoners habit of smuggling it out prison to sell (yes American crims are weird clearly) to the tune of tens of thousands of $$ worth every year. Since it started being pink, thefts have seemingly dropped to nil or virtually nil."
It's like baggy pants. There was a time when poor kids wore knee hugging pants because that was what the consignment store had, or that's what mom bought while hoping to put a few years between shopping trips, or because you were born a few years too late for the hand-me downs to fit right. Then every suburban kid had to look like an 4 year gap.
It'll take a few more famous sheriff stories but the fads building. Soon every suburban hipster will have to have pink briefs with "Property of Maricopa Jail" stamped inside.
As we speak, I'm washing a load of white briefs with a handfull of red automotive shop rags-- the kind that bleed easy-- and carving a jail stamp out of a bar of ivory soap.
"I read about this guy when he was re-elected.
Posted Thursday 13th December 2007 12:19 GMT
Thumb Up
He also banned their cable TV till that was overturned in court as it is a human right now. (americans) so he gave them national geographic and the weather channel ) or something equally dull. Because having cable doesn't have to mean all channels. And so they "can see how nice it is outside."
Also banned the gym and weights so they can't be stronger and more fit to commit crime when they get into the oustide world.
The tents and pink clothing was part of a long and excellent list.
Shame we can't have some of that here"
Great aint til lI had a prison guard explain to me why it's not.
TV and gym gives them things to , it does make it less violent situation. When you leave a person alone in a cell with nothing to do they found it does induce forms of psychosis So people that say you should have prisoners have nothing to do but sit in their cells allday long, you are looking for problems.
For as the weights, most prisoners that lift weights get muscle bound. believe it or not its lot easier to deal with a muscular guy.. When he swings he is slow.. Its they guy that has been running all day which is a bitch to deal with.
Regarding the post by John Blackmon...
Nice researching, as well as explanation.
One thing that seems to be missing, though, is the marginal change in residency for criminals as compared to changes in crime in each area over time. Ie, whether the enforcement in areas from which they moved was a reason for their move and how that move affected the rates of crime in the areas to which they moved (yes, I was an economics major... 8-))
For example, methods in areas where he is not responsible (eg the city proper of Phoenix) may have driven folks to areas where the perceived success rate in crime (ie how easy it is perceived to get away with something) is higher (eg county areas, which typically have fewer police officers per geographic measure, in this case miles). In a nutshell, officers in metro areas like Phoenix (or San Diego, Manchester, Paris or Prague) typically have smaller areas to police per officer and better resources than those in outlying areas. This effect can be seen in the Inland Empire (aka 'Endless Empire) of southern California, specifically San Bernadino county. Look on a map to see how large this area really is, it's larger than some eastern states and quite sparsely populated. Lots of problems away from the population centers...
Please, everyone, note that I am not trying to take a side, here - instead, I am trying to point out that the analysis, while thorough, seems to be missing one component which may - or may not - change the conclusion of the analysis. To me, examining the situation without this information leaves a bit too much room for subjective interpretation.
Again, nice analysis, but I think it would be more complete with the inclusion of what is discussed above.
Go, El reg!!! 8-)
TF
southern California
Well said. The joke around here is that in US, we think 100 years is a long time, and in other countries, 100 miles is a long distance. It'd be nice if we could eliminate the cause of people driving impaired, but eliminating beer isn't a good solution. They could, of course, eliminate Budweiser, but that isn't beer, so we'd still be safe. A probable solution would involve decent mass transportation. We have plenty of stories about drivers getting their ride impounded, so they make the 20 mile trip into town on the farm tractor or riding mower. I can't say as I blame them totally -- getting to the local tavern and socializing can be a good thing, even though the cigarette haters have ruined the traditional bar smell.
The other point I would like to see from your analysis, besides the point made by T Fillmore, is the percentage of repeat crime. Whereas his methods may not be deturring those that have not committed a crime previously, I would tend to think that the methods HAVE inspired those in his prisons to change their ways, or at least think twice before committing another crime in his jurisdiction.
Standard prisons are definately no deturrent. 3 meals a day, tv, recreation (weights, bball, etc). Some folks in the cities here in the states have it worse outside than in. I know of at least 1 man in town that attempts robery on a bank every fall so he has a place to stay for the winter. I somewhat doubt he'd be so anxious with hard labor awaiting him on the other side.
One other point that hasn't been mentioned, among Sheriff Joe's improvements have been getting meal costs for prisoners down to about 40 cents a day each, on a diet of balogna sandwiches (nutritious and cheap).
My only disappointment is that most other areas in the states are reluctant to change to a system like this. I'm not saying all his methods are great, but it's a step in the right direction. Crime needs punishment as a deturrent, and the current system in general fails at this.
But then again all is not well in Maricopa and if you scratch and dig below the surface of his hype and PR stunts it reveals many questionable activities which Joe would not prefer to be made public !
Like all self proclaimed heroes of the right , he has feet of clay and with many sticky and very greedy hands requiring much grease surrounding him !
The man himself makes both Blair's (the former PM and the Current MET commissioner) look like honest men who tell no lies , which we all know is not possible don't we given their known activities past and current history do we !
It is the old story of one uses uses as much hype and boasting as possible to hide the real floating crap sticking to one's hand and back pocket at the same time !
P.S. one missing small point many respondents appearing to worship the man have forgotten given that since Arizona sits on a high mountainous plateau subject to wide temperature extremes summer and winter! So stand up now and move one pace forward all who would like to live in an overcrowded jail being fed for less then a dollar a day and forced to sleep in pink underwear in uninsulated tents as the winter night time temperatures plummets below zero(did someone forget where Pike's Peak is ? Remember also Phoenix Airport is not called "Sky Harbour International Airport " for no particular reason but due to it's height above sea level and suffers from very severe weather extreme warnings ! In winter it has been known to be closed with heavy snowfalls as well ) !
Oh well let the fools continue to worship a hero with feet of clay and a very hidden agenda from prying public eyes !
I notice the best you get are quotes from known AP mouthpieces with their blatant leftist bent. I'm sure they show all but the best of anyone that doesn't fit the 'drive America into the ground with crime' agenda.
You'll also notice something else-illegal immigration in those areas is skyrocketing as well. I'd bet, if the reconquista sympathizers and Mexican Fifth Column weren't interfering, you'd see that the violent crime increase is in proportion to the amount of illegals flooding across the border. How many of these increased crimes are from non citizens? Deterrent doesn't work on them if they haven't heard of it, thanks to censorship by the not-so-open Mexican government and the fact only the most dangerous and least useful to the Mexican economy (read:illiterate and uneducatable) are being allowed/encouraged to sneak into America.
Just like the taser debate. The more effective something becomes to stop criminals and to cut the real fear-causing conspiracy in America, the more the Media and liberal shills do their best to spin the story to make it look ineffective or counterproductive.
Even if it were true that this wasn't working at all, this is but one conservative side program. There are thousands of liberal looney ideas failing blatantly and obviously all over the country, maybe they should try cancelling a few of those decades old programs first before going after one new one.
heystoopid ... yes, I mean you, but you picked the name. You coulda checked Wikipedia first. But nooooooooo, you decided to make up some geography.
Phoenix has a mean elevation of 1,117 feet (340 m) ... Yes, if it snows here, which is does every few years, if it's heavy enough, they would have to close the runways because THEY HAVE NO SNOWPLOWS!
The tent cities are probably tolerable in the winter, but in summer it's damned hot here. The temperature reaches or exceeds 100°F (38°C) on an average of 89 days during the year, including most days from early June through early September.
but wouldn't it be better to find out why people are committing crimes and addressing those reasons, rather than coming up with dodgy gimmicks such as coloured underwear and substandard food? Might be a bit more complex and expensive than getting criminals to wear silly hats, but having people not being mugged or robbed in the first place is better than humiliating muggers or robbers.
In the American sense that is, but I'll say it again: Joe is a piece of S*^T! He cares for nothing but his own ego. He is corrupt, dishonest, and ineffective to boot. What a combination. I've lived in London and I've lived in Phoenix, and trust me on this. You wouldn't like Joe and his boys.
Do a little research about this bozo. You will not believe some of the stuff he has pulled. Truly, I'm surprised by the response I'm seeing here. I already knew that the people of Maricopa county were morons (at least a majority of them). I can only assume that ignorance is the problem with UK posters. To know Joe is NOT to love him.
"I already knew that the people of Maricopa county were morons (at least a majority of them). I can only assume that ignorance is the problem with UK posters."
Seems that way to me too. Let's deal with the facts, people, and here in the UK too.
There has been a big drive to have longer sentences and more people going to gaol. Hence the shortage of prison places. Here in the UK we lock up a larger percentage of our population than anywhere else in W Europe, though behind the USA, Russia etc.
Does anyone seriously claim this has worked to reduce crime? Is crime lower in the USA or Russia where they lock up MORE people? It may not fit your prejudiced preconceptions, but the numbers say locking people up doesn't work. Whatever the colour of their underwear.
A garnishee is someone whose wages have been garnished. The original poster was entirely correct to use the word garnish to describe the docking of wages. I'm afraid you have broken the cardinal rule: better to stay silent and be thought an idiot, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
"The tent cities are probably tolerable in the winter, but in summer it's damned hot here. The temperature reaches or exceeds 100°F (38°C) on an average of 89 days during the year, including most days from early June through early September."
As has been said many times, it's much hotter in the Middle East, where many troops from both the UK and US serve in full combat gear (much warmer than pink underwear).
"Does anyone seriously claim this has worked to reduce crime? Is crime lower in the USA or Russia where they lock up MORE people? It may not fit your prejudiced preconceptions, but the numbers say locking people up doesn't work. Whatever the colour of their underwear."
There are some who do make that claim, though it's likely unfounded. The argument I present is: Is the current system working better? Do giving prisoners tvs to sit around and watch, or weights to lift make them better fit to live as part of society, or will it enable them to go back to what they do currently?
I'm not saying Joe is some savior or not corrupt. He likely is just as corrupt as most other prison officials or government workers/politicians, however he's not content to leave the system as is and hope it works itself out.
I leave you with one more program Joe has started, that has not been mentioned, and goes back to my point of bettering prisoners to re-enter society:
"Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice
daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million.
Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most
would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals. "
That'll be another dead (american) jailbird...
«Standard prisons are definately no deturrent. 3 meals a day, tv, recreation (weights, bball, etc). Some folks in the cities here in the states have it worse outside than in. I know of at least 1 man in town that attempts robery on a bank every fall so he has a place to stay for the winter. I somewhat doubt he'd be so anxious with hard labor awaiting him on the other side.»
That explains a lot about the American Way of Life... Yeah, right! It's not "Kill the poor!" as The Dead Kennedys used to shout, rather reduce them to serfdom in state institutions where all human dignity is denied, exploit every once of free labour you can get out of them, and just expect them to be rehabilitated -- or else, broken, scared senseless, psycopathically enraged or just plain insane, who cares... (for the rest of us, unamericans, just remember that one quarter of the world's prison population is in the US)
Oh yeah! And why shouldn't one treat stray dogs better than humans?
"Home of the brave, land of the free", indeed! Get a passport...
The question is... Does deterrence work? Oftentimes it does. Hell, that's the basis for most people paying taxes or licensing fees... because paying them is better than the alternative. What about the people who are making an altered value judgement? If they don't see freedom as having a higher value than the short term return received as a result of their crimes you must change their perspective. This seems like one way to do so. Robbing a store might seem a little less easy when you are likely to be caught and suffer through a summer in a tent.
Some criminal's lack the ability to even see beyond the very shortest term returns... Someone more patient than I should fix that.
What does rehabilitation alone accomplish? Not much, esp in certain crimes. Sex offenders being the most obvious.
There is no perfect solution to crime. We balance back and forth and hope to come out better than before. I like Sheriff Joe's solution just because I think that prison should be punishment. Period. Rehab should be included, but any former military guy can tell that to properly 'retrain' (read:indoctrinate) someone you have to punish them terribly.
Lastly, as a former military guy, I've experienced far worse conditions training in the high desert of California, or watching for drug smugglers in the hinterlands of Arizona and New Mexico (while being shot at by Mexican snipers). My heart does not bleed for them.