I think that the US justice system is pretty flawed. In fact, it really shouldn’t be called the justice department at all, because let’s face facts… few people really get what they deserve.
One of the things that bothers me most is the sheer cost of incarceration. If we take into account the total population currently residing in state and federal prisons in the US (1,355,748 people as of June 30, 2002) and multiply it by the average cost to board each prisoner for one day ($46.58) the amount of tax dollars being spent daily ($63,150,741) to keep criminals alive is a sizable. If we project that number over a year ($23,050,020,771) we’re talking about a sizable portion of the national debt.
Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time already knows my stance on the death penalty. If we just executed everyone who committed a violent crime (okay, just those who are undeniably guilty… for instance, anyone who admits it or is caught in the act), then we’d save a few million. Of course, some would find this distasteful. The problem with prisons though is that they are actually criminal colleges where convicts take accelerated courses in criminal capers. So, what can we do to stop the criminals from spending their time in prison to perfect their chosen profession?
Chemically induced comas. Yep, I say we medicate the fuckers for the duration of their sentences. I’m sure many of you have seen the movie Coma. While it was made in 1978, the science behind the fiction could easily be adapted to another use. Imagine an entire building filled to the rafters with criminals who are serving their sentences without the possibility of riots, murders, sexual predation, drugs, gang warfare, and all the normal ills that make US prisons the bane of Amnesty International! If managed on a large scale, the prohibitive costs of caring for people in vegatative states is greatly reduced. The electrical and mechanical apparatus could be purchased in bulk. One man or woman could theoretically monitor the well-being of hundreds of inmates each day. Instead of having hundreds of guards, a few dozen nurses could handle as many as 1500 inmates. The space necessary for something like this would also decrease since the inmates could be stacked like cordwood, one on top of the other, suspended by various wires and guidelines.
The end result is that the convict is truly punished for their crime, doesn’t benefit from their period of incarceration in a negative manner and lowers the burden on society. It is a win win win situation as far as I can see… anyone know the proper method of inducing a coma without causing lasting damage?