Prison: Punishment or Rehabilitation?

Why are prisoners in prison anyway? Are convicts detained and imprisoned for their good or our safety? Is the current system of prison working well? Is the prison pleasant for the inmate, should it be pleasant for the inmate. Are inmates being educated in the ways of society or the ways of crime? Is prison "a walk in the park" or "a walk in the dark"?

Some important questions need to be asked and answered in order to determine what the status of the prison system is and what its goals should be. Canada's current way of doing things, as far as justice goes, is rehabilitation. Everyone in the country has rights, are these rights conditional to the behavior of the individual? Law was created to keep peace and deliver justice. It seems in today's society that punishment is a thing of the past. Parental opinions are split as to whether physical punishment should be administered to children. Many parents shout and scream at their kids, but to no avail. The children grow up completely undisciplined. The police are the first people they meet who "really mean it" when they say "NO!"

The criminal justice system needs to do more then give criminals a slap on the hand. Criminals should be punished. If a prisoner is sentenced for life, then they should not get out after 10 years. If a prisoner is sent to prison for 10 years then they should not be allowed to go free after 4 years. Let the judge assign the time and the prisoner serve it. The prisoner should also pay for his own cost of living. An "Inside Out" program of some sort would provide a service to community such as road work or other, and would earn the convict money to pay for his living and raise money for after the completion of his