Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Behind the double-bunking debate

The debate about double-bunking and Greg Newbold's opinion that rapes would increase, being discussed at a number of sites, is certainly revealing some deeply ingrained attitudes. I have just commented on the feminist site, Hand Mirror. Cactus is over there asking this question;

Maia

So would you shed a tear if a man who has violently raped an innocent woman, is then raped in prison?

Honest answer please.


I'll answer it for you Cactus. I wouldn't shed a tear but I wouldn't be cheering either.

I have always accepted the idea of safe and secure preventive detention for the most dangerous criminals. But the tough on law and order brigade are starting to show their true colours. They are retributionists.

Think about where the strong culture of retribution has gotten many a Maori.

Retribution sits at the start of the problem - not the end. As Lucy says, this is eye-for-an-eye stuff. Where is the logical conclusion?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

To survive in prison you must either be a strong individual who offers no threat to the criminal organisations within the prison. Or, for the sake of personal security, you join one of the many collective groups which abound inside Bedlam. Having joined the group there is little chance to leave it behind once on the outside. Prison debts are forever.
Its the nature of the beast.

Few people escape prison unscathed. Especially those who find themselves on the bottom of societies heap at the conclusion of the punishment. When many start a new sentence where the wider community dishes out its own brand of justice.

There is no solution.Only more of the same.
Dirk

Anonymous said...

Unless these law and order fascists can prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that every single man in prison is guilty of actually violating someone's rights (not just the law) they had better be very careful. That they appear to be approving of the idea of rape is disgusting.

Imprisonment may indicate someone who hurt others, and I'll be hard pressed to feel too bad for them. But only a complete idiot believes that 100% of those in prison are there because they hurt others.

Nigel Kearney said...

Even most retributionists are not as extreme as some of those commenting on this.

However, avoiding double bunking to reduce prison rape is like cutting the top speed limit to 60km/h to reduce road deaths.

Road deaths are terrible and a low speed limit will reduce them, but the solution is still not worth it.

Anonymous said...

"Unless these law and order fascists can prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that every single man in prison is guilty of actually violating someone's rights (not just the law) they had better be very careful. That they appear to be approving of the idea of rape is disgusting."

They aren't....they are saying that prison is umpleasent and if you don't like the thought of it then don't commit crime....the deterent factor is a major good in reducing crime no?

"Imprisonment may indicate someone who hurt others, and I'll be hard pressed to feel too bad for them. But only a complete idiot believes that 100% of those in prison are there because they hurt others."

Seperate issue....Garrett doesn't want non violent crims in prison...indeed it was National that tried to add strike offences like incest to the proposed bill....Garrett's list was way shorter and only included violent offences at the top end...