Supermax prisons, death row, and cats.

[Neetz]

I haven't read all the posts but you can see a recent documentary here where Trevor MacDonald goes into this prison and actually interviews these inmates. He talks about their cats and you get to meet them:

[MerinPally]

Good. Flood the prisons with pets. Seriously, the amount that get put down for no reason other than they're an inconvenience...

[Deleted]

The unconditioned love an animal gives could melt anyone's heart. I think that's the point here, they're defenseless little furry creatures that really have done nothing wrong. Pure innocence. It's a good experiment in my opinion.
Lets not forget that jail should be a punishment but also rehabilitation.

[Spectral]

That's one of the nicer stories I've seen recently. I can see no downside to it.

[Deleted]

Rip the cats away from these prisoners so they can feel a fraction of the pain that they inflicted on other people.

Yeh and then get ready to bomb the place as I would personally go fucking ballistic and Im not a multi rapist murderer. I can only imagine their reactions.

[derpkitteh]

They're inmates living in a "supermax" prison. They did something so horrendous they're on death row, or locked up in one of our most secure prisons. I don't even understand how someone could have the gumption to try to incur emotion from readers with this garbage. They ceased being human beings when they committed their crimes.

But I guess bleeding hearts will always be bleeding hearts, so people just seem to gloss over the fact that these are rapists, murderers, just the worst of the worst.

i agree. i hate the thought of cats being subjected to these vicious monstrosities. how many of them are tortured and killed by the inmates? i don't like this at all, and they should stop giving them out. once the cats already owned die off, no more should be allowed.

[Spectral]

They're inmates living in a "supermax" prison. They did something so horrendous they're on death row, or locked up in one of our most secure prisons. I don't even understand how someone could have the gumption to try to incur emotion from readers with this garbage. They ceased being human beings when they committed their crimes.

But I guess bleeding hearts will always be bleeding hearts, so people just seem to gloss over the fact that these are rapists, murderers, just the worst of the worst.

This logic could be used to justify any sort of vile torture you like. No one "cease[s] being human".

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

i agree. i hate the thought of cats being subjected to these vicious monstrosities. how many of them are tortured and killed by the inmates? i don't like this at all, and they should stop giving them out. once the cats already owned die off, no more should be allowed.

I thought the point of the article is that none of the cats have been tortured or killed.

[Spectral]

I thought the point of the article is that none of the cats have been tortured or killed.

Clearly you don't understand just how evil those monsters are. They raise cats up from kittens with the express purpose of torturing them later!

[Deleted]

i agree. i hate the thought of cats being subjected to these vicious monstrosities. how many of them are tortured and killed by the inmates? i don't like this at all, and they should stop giving them out. once the cats already owned die off, no more should be allowed.

Yea- No.

You clearly didn't pay attention to it, this has been running for a few years now - none of the cats have been *killed*.

There convicts are stringently tested before being given a cat, and for all intents and purposes they live a normal fucking life.

They wake up, get breakfast, do there prison job, go back to there cell and do whatever they do including going out to there courtyard ect.

Of course the 60-70 odd inmates with felines have to travel around the wing they live in to share the kitty love, but nothing bad has come of it - you'd expect it to right? But it seems to of awakened an empathy within the inmates, the violence levels rapidly dropping proves it.

Less suicides prove it, less violence on guards prove it.

You must be thinking like enders, these cats are just being GIVEN out - there not, it's pretty stringent to get them - and even then they see the cats 24/7 so they'd know if shit was up.

Nothing has occurred...

I think you're so keen to picture these people as not human, and indeed your wording implies it - that you simply wish to forget, they've lived a fucked up life. Most of them were abused and lack the skills to deal with other humans leading to there situations.

[Gemini Sunrise]

i agree. i hate the thought of cats being subjected to these vicious monstrosities. how many of them are tortured and killed by the inmates? i don't like this at all, and they should stop giving them out. once the cats already owned die off, no more should be allowed.

I still find it more than amusing that you have a Fluttershy avatar.

[smelltheglove]

I'd be curious to see the long term effects of this on their ability to empathize, and feel remorse for their crimes.

this was my exact thought. intellectually, it seems like an ideal doorway to learning empathy (something im pretty certain the majority of supermax candidates are lacking)

[Catta]

That's one of the nicer stories I've seen recently. I can see no downside to it.

Obviously you dont know that prison should be hell on earth and that the inmates should be fighting for food in the pit of death.

[vrsick]

You'll take care of mr. jingles right boss?

[Powerogue]

I've also heard that taking care of plants or animals can help rehabilitate people in hospitals or nursing homes. It's no surprise why we've kept pets around for all these centuries.

Good on ya, cats; you're doing better than millions in government funds could hope to achieve in rehabilitating criminals.

[Sandrox]

I'd have no problems with that if it was the most effective way of rehabilitating people.

But it's not.

I dont think you can, and that its worth trying, to rehabilitate murders, rapists, and serial killers.

[Deleted]

I've also heard that taking care of plants or animals can help rehabilitate people in hospitals or nursing homes. It's no surprise why we've kept pets around for all these centuries.

Yup, my sister has been going to nursing homes for years with her dog, and as soon as mine grows out of puberty I'm going to start doing the same. One of the best ways to volunteer in my opinion, considering how massive effect animals and nurturing creates in these places.

[Tinykong]

But I guess bleeding hearts will always be bleeding hearts, so people just seem to gloss over the fact that these are rapists, murderers, just the worst of the worst.

If we're not going to torture and mentally destroy inmates (which we're not) then why not use any means necessary to effectively maintain order and safety? If some Caturday activities prevent the inmates from rioting and help maintain a schedule, why not? Riots are expensive, and so is super intense security. If anything, the cats probably save money.

[checking facts]

I dont think you can, and that its worth trying, to rehabilitate murders, rapists, and serial killers.

the problem with the consumerist society is that it encourages people to buy a new thing and replace the old one when the old one is broken, instead of fixing it. and mentality is something that spreads to one's other aspects of life.

why fix those broken people if we can just replace them with new people, amirite?

no, that's wrong. as long as they are alive, we should do our best to fix them and turn them into proper members of society. it's our moral obligation as human beings. a moral obligation very few countries actually try fulfilling.

[Dezerte]

I dont think you can, and that its worth trying, to rehabilitate murders, rapists, and serial killers.

I do, it gives them a chance at redemption, something which can be very valuable for them (regardless of whether they ever leave prison). It also gives us the opportunity to study their behavior and better understand crime and how to combat it in the future.