Criminal behavior a disease? I believe it is in some cases. The modern judicial system in America incarcerates very indiscriminately to my knowledge, but that also varies state-to-state how the hammer is being brought down on cases.
Curing a common thief, a one time offender usually does learn his or her lesson from prison or community service. Then again, there is another side to the coin here. Depending on what the crime was, some inmates find new contacts and ways to continue their wrongs after the sentence.
A very good example of the prison system teaching bad habits to repeaters is seen in Maryland, Baltimore. Also well known through the TV-show 'The Wire', which finished airing in 2008.
Curing the criminally insane is propably more likely to be 'curable' because it is much more about the condition of the offender instead of the circumstances that brought him or her to commit the crime. In these cases a regime of therapeutic activities or some other way of rehabilitating the subject is chosen opposed to incarceration and the isolation which might even make the situation worse.
What to take out of this would make me think that I have to come to a conclusion that even though the prison system does keep the streets 'clean' it doesn't make the problem go away when it comes to organized crime or the mentally ill prisoners who should really be in a hospital instead.
That's a nice write-up!
VastaaPoistaBringing up a problem like this makes us think about what we need prisons for. In theory, inprisonment is about retribution. Retribution has become so natural for us that we don't even reconsider its possible effects.
Modern prisons don't work well in order to make the wrong-doer a proper citizen again. For example, it creates problems in terms of relationships and occupation. Even though the idea of punishing a wrong-doer is somehwat justified, is it really worth it to ruin the rest of their lives?
To claim that the criminals can be cured is pretentious in my opinion. Does the society really believe that it can fully understand and be able to alter a person? That's ridiculous.
There is one thing I have to admit, though: keeping wrong-doers away for a while certainly makes the world a bit more safe. However, I believe the way they are punished should be developed further.