Right to death

[Touchstone]

Jail is not about protecting anyone from anything. It's a punitive measure.

That's very short-sighted. Unfortunately it's a view that is far too prevalent.

As galling as it may be to watch our taxpayer dollars being spent on helping people who have harmed society, it is far more effective in the long run both in cost terms and in 'net societal good' terms to treat jail not as a punishment but as a chance to rehabilitate people.

Remember that the vast majority of those who enter prison come out again. Piss on them (figuratively) for as long as they're in there then not only have you failed to do anything useful which might help them avoid causing society trouble in future but you've embittered them and made it more likely that they will do so. It's basic psychology. Watch any pet training or supernanny show (or think about how you've raised pets or children if you have any) to see that encouraging behaviours you want to see repeated is far more effective than attempting to discourage behaviours you don't want to see.

For the genuine lifers, treat them humanely because, if you don't, you're worse than them--hypocritical as well as inhumane.