Can murderers or rapists ever be rehabilitated back into society?

I think that this is an awful and heartless thing to say because you never know whether one if your loved ones or ever yourself could be in a situation that landed you in jail! Yes, we all say that we would never kill but is that really true? What would you do to a man that raped your 11 year old son? What would you do if you came home from work early and found your new husband/wife raping your 3 year old daughter? I'm sure you would do what 100% of anyone else would do....try your best to kill that person and if you succeeded, would it deem necessary to "put a bullet in YOUR head and get it over already"?

How many of us have taken our eyes off the road to change the radio station, put ketchup on that burger that we ate trying eat while driving, send a quick text or turn to the back seat to tell our kids to stop fighting over a piece of candy? I'm sure we all have but yet in a quick second, during our time of distraction, we could have struck a bystander or hit a child who ran into the street after a ball. What about taking a friend to the store? We all have done it. While you were in the car waiting for them to buy a pack of cigs, they were inside robbing and killing the clerk, charges in which YOU too would be charged with!

We all have skeletons in our closets, and quite frankly, more of us have actually committed crimes...but just didn't get caught. So you, my friend, should NEVER be so quick to judge and execute another because one day, you could be in the same situation and I'm sure you would want someone to give you another chance to prove that you can be trusted in society.

So I was having a conversation with a friend who believed that all criminals should be given a second chance even if they were violent murderers or rapists. I instinctively disagreed because society would never accept ex-murderers/rapists and it would put innocent people at risk.

She argued that rehabilitating these criminals and making them repay their debt to society by working and being productive would be better than letting them rot in a cell and using up taxpayers money. And that everyone should be given another chance. This does make sense, providing they really have changed, but I can't seem to bring myself to agree with it.

I think that thieves/burglars or other petty criminals can and should be rehabilitated back into society but not so sure about serious violent criminals.

Your thoughts?

So I was having a conversation with a friend who believed that all criminals should be given a second chance even if they were violent murderers or rapists. I instinctively disagreed because society would never accept ex-murderers/rapists and it would put innocent people at risk.

She argued that rehabilitating these criminals and making them repay their debt to society by working and being productive would be better than letting them rot in a cell and using up taxpayers money. And that everyone should be given another chance. This does make sense, providing they really have changed, but I can't seem to bring myself to agree with it.

I think that thieves/burglars or other petty criminals can and should be rehabilitated back into society but not so sure about serious violent criminals.

Your thoughts?

Hello,

I personally feel that some murderers are rehabilitative especially if they killed in self defense, by accident or if they killed someone while they were younger (i.e. a fight after school turned deadly by him hitting the other person in the wrong spot or as an underaged gang member). If their actions in jail have shown them to be remorseful of what happened and they have made genuine efforts to be a better person, why not give them a second chance? The same goes for rapists. Although I do not be that serial rapists can be rehabilitated as their crimes were most likely results of their arrogance and/or sexual addiction, I do believe that a person who was convicted of rape when they were a drunken 15 year old would be able to get out years later and be a productive citizen who was not a threat to women. Therefore, I think it just depends on the situation and the motives and circumstances surrounding the incidents. regarding your comment around thieves and burglars getting second chances opposed to rapists and murderers, I think that some of these individuals are NOT able to be rehabilitated as some people will forever steal and rob from people while some murderers may never kill again. Again, it just depends on that person's previous history of violence or similar charges and how they act in prison and participate in therapy and other rehabilitative measures.

I founded a nonprofit organization here in Columbus, GA called NewLife-Second Chance Outreach, Inc. that helps ex-offenders find employment and truly believe that people deserve second chances. Although I myself am a felon and believe that people deserve second chances, I do NOT believe that some people like Charles Manson, who claims to be driven by satanic forces, will never change as I'm sure these same forces are who he will forever listen to, therefore, making him a lasting risk. However, there are people who are genuinely sorry for there actions and could be great community members if only given the chance. People do not realize the amount of money that could be saved by NOT incarcerating people for unnecessary lengths of time and how much money the city and states could make if these people were able to work and pay taxes once they are released. Some of the most successful celebrities and politicians have killed people and haven't killed again such as former first lady Laura Bush, Ted Kennedy, Brandy, Charles S. Dutton, and Matthew Broderick. Just look at Duane "Dog" Chapman. Although he didn't actually kill anyone (he was charged with murder because while he was outside in a car waiting for his friends to buy weed, the were killing a man inside), he is always encouraging his "bounties" to do better and to get their lives together. I think he is awesome and a great example of how felons or murderers can change.

well no, saying sorry obviously doesn't undo what somebody did, but then neither does punishing them. I think punishment should be reserved for those who are not remorseful; because if they are not sorry then you make them sorry

I think you would find that if you reserve punishment for the unremorseful the only prisoners you will have will be the mentally ill and the innocent!

I mean people remorseful they committed the crime, not people remorseful they got caught.

Yep,I know.

and I'm saying that if criminals knew theyd only get punished( or get a much longer sentence) if they didn't show remorse then the only ones who wouldn't show remorse are the innocent and the mentally ill.


( In fact in the US a lot of poor prisoners are innocent or mentally I'll apparently

Can they? Possibly.

Should they? Absolutely not.

I would rather not take that risk. There are some people who can never be trusted again, and no amount of help or chances will change them. Taxpayers money has to go somewhere, and I'd be happy for it to go where they are no longer a burden on society and putting innocent people at risk.