The Pros And Cons Of Retribution Versus Rehabilitation

A very old issue still raises questions in every criminal justice system – is it better to punish the criminals, or rehabilitate them and give them a chance to change? Retribution versus rehabilitation is an ongoing duel even to this day, while many psychologists and legal workers have had countless debates trying to settle the argument once and for all. Many people might think "Why is it so questionable? It’s obvious that criminals should be punished for their acts!" But, if it was that simple then it wouldn’t baffle experts for decades. First of all, let’s determine the difference between prison and rehabilitation; in prison, you lock up the criminal, determine how much time he/she will serve and during that time the authorities will set various punishments, (among which is solitary confinement cell, the one that most of the prisoners fear) to set an example of what will happen if one commits a crime. But, prison holds much darker places than the solitary confinement cell. Very often, the prison guards torment the prisoners, manipulate them into turning against each other which further causes greater problems, all of this because they see themselves as qualified to do as they please just

While the majority would say that it is almost impossible to change a criminal mind and expect an ex convict to be a functional part of the society, the Norwegian prison Bastoy Prison Island off the coast of Oslo Fjord proves it wrong. In this prison, the convicts are treated humanely and with respect. The atmosphere is relaxed and they basically function as a "small society". According to statistics, the Norwegian prison’s reconviction rate is an astonishing 16%, while the European average is 70%, and America’s average is 77%. Moreover, besides being humane, pragmatically it's the best for society too since in most cases the convicts get out sooner or