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"Harsh Punishment Backfires, Researcher Says"

By Douglas A. Berman

The title of this post is the headline of this piece from About.com's Crime/Punishment section.  Here is how it gets started: The current prison system puts too much emphasis on harsh punishment and not enough on rehabilitation and simply doesn't work, according to a criminal justice expert. Focusing on reducing prison populations and offering job skill training could greatly reduce recidivism, research shows. The current system only provides a breeding ground for more aggressive and violent behavior, according to Joel Dvoskin, PhD of the University of Arizona. "The current design of prison systems doesn't work," said Dvoskin, in a news release. "Overly punitive approaches used on violent, angry criminals only provide a breeding ground for more anger and more violence...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on February 17, 2010 (boomark / email).