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Sensible Sentencing
North Miami Beach, FL June 18, 2001 Aaron H.
Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on issues, ideas and reflections on the times. Published now and
then, Opinions pro or con are welcome.
SENSIBLE SENTENCING
As I thought there are a lot of ideas floating about concerning the
inappropriateness of the DEATH SENTENCE. As much as we would like to strike
back and "get even" the barbarity and public attention to the details of
ending a life by "government" injection seem to be in need of tweaking to
make the system better. One such idea this morning in the Miami Herald is
to make punishment as it used to be. LIFE AT HARD LABOR. We all remember
the cartoons of shackled men in striped clothing lifting big hammers to
break big stones into little stones. The meaninglessness of their work did
not conflict with our belief that this is the punishment that fits the
crime - in other words, ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
But, of course, I was left with ruminating about my by now very ancient
idea of how to manage such punishment with sensible sentencing. You see; it
is so wasteful to have prisoners do meaningless labor. It is so wasteful to
end lives that could be meaningfully productive. And, the prison system is
a dystopia that no thinking person could support.
My ancient idea is based on the idea that punishment should be real even if
it avoids physical pain such as whipping or solitary confinement in space
too small for movement. Mental punishment might do equally well. Here
again is the basic idea. The Timothy McVeigh and other mass murderers or
mad dogs of human beings who are a blight on the human community should not
be put away from our sight. We should be reminded forcefully of their
presence and what their crimes have brought them to.
They are a tiny percentage of our human race. Let us make them different
in appearance, as they are different in their humanity. Let us dye them
permanently a bright color (I suggest orange). Then use the readily
available restraints either mechanical, electronic, or medicinal to render
them harmless but not unable to perform labor. Assign one or two warders
who accompany them on their assigned tasks that will be work for the common
good among the rest of us. Keep them alive and useful. Make it so that they
cannot harm themselves or others. They will be seen sweeping streets or
carrying heavy loads. They will clean sewers or cesspools by hand. In
other words they will do the labor of the lowest class of workers in a
pre-industrial society. They will not be allowed the luxury of shovels or
baskets or other labor saving devices. By being amongst us they will be
shamed and we will be reminded of the terrible consequences of crimes
against our human family. They should not be imprisoned during their working
hours. At night lock them up in portable cells where they can be seen in
their isolation. You can still have prisons for the rest of those who need
sequestering in the pestholes we call "reformatories" or "penitentiaries".
Our system reforms few and penance is not guided or directed by you and me
but by criminal felons who are angry with you and me.
The crime of punishment is real. We do it so badly. We lock away our
damaged brothers and sisters where they can do no harm to us but where they
are terribly managed and where they inflict unimaginable indignities on each
other - with the assent of the rest of us. Let us do away with the DEATH
PENALTY.
Carol's Evaluation:10 out of 10.
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