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Billcat · 10-01-2007, 19:08

Okay, back with the hard data!

Interesting article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recidivism. Goes completely against the ideas proposed in this string. Perhaps someone on the pro-harsh-punishment side of the debate would care to counter with some other factual data?

Per the article, the USA (with harsher, punitive prisons) has a recidivism rate of 60%, while the UK with more emphasis on education and rehabilitation, has a rate of 50%. In other words, the recidivism rate in the USA is 120% of that experiencedi in the UK!

Hardly surprising, IMHO. Many prisoners are poorly educated, alienated from society, and unlikely to be able to earn a living. The UK system, which places a greater emphasis on addressing these issues, results in lower rates of repeat offenders. Perfect? Of course not! But considerably better than ours - and I'm sure that we here in the USA spend far more of our tax dollars on prisons that you do in the UK, given our longer prision terms and five times higher rate of imprisonment 625 per 100,000 in the USA, versus 125 in the UK. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/r88.pdf

Frankly, when it somes to getting results, perhaps the USA should look the the UK as the superior model in this instance.

10-01-2007, 19:08	#45
Billcat Foreign Correspondent Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colony of New Jersey Posts: 694 Liked: 0 times Rep Power: 54	Re: a lesson to the british prison system! Okay, back with the hard data! Interesting article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recidivism. Goes completely against the ideas proposed in this string. Perhaps someone on the pro-harsh-punishment side of the debate would care to counter with some other factual data? Per the article, the USA (with harsher, punitive prisons) has a recidivism rate of 60%, while the UK with more emphasis on education and rehabilitation, has a rate of 50%. In other words, the recidivism rate in the USA is 120% of that experiencedi in the UK! Hardly surprising, IMHO. Many prisoners are poorly educated, alienated from society, and unlikely to be able to earn a living. The UK system, which places a greater emphasis on addressing these issues, results in lower rates of repeat offenders. Perfect? Of course not! But considerably better than ours - and I'm sure that we here in the USA spend far more of our tax dollars on prisons that you do in the UK, given our longer prision terms and five times higher rate of imprisonment 625 per 100,000 in the USA, versus 125 in the UK. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/r88.pdf Frankly, when it somes to getting results, perhaps the USA should look the the UK as the superior model in this instance. __________________ When in darkness or in doubt, visit Oswaldtwistle!