Should forced sterilizations be used as a form of Punishment?

[Spiffums]

So in our class, we had a debate as for the ethicacy of forcible sterilizations of very serious violent criminals. Some of the arguments were that children born from convicted violent criminals tend to have a much higher risk of becomming a criminal when compared to the general public even when income and education was factored. And the point is if we'd just serialized all serious violent criminals as part of the condition for the possibility of parole, that could dramatically cut down violent crime.

Do you support the notion that ALL seriously violent crime (Rape, Child molestation, serious assault and battery, etc) should carry a mandatory life sentence, and that the possibility of parole will be added IF the criminal agrees to the sterilization?

IMO, if you violate the law, you give up your right to reproduce. I personally do not see the right of reproduction as a fundamental human right if you are a violent individual. Society has the obligation to protect the right of life and safety for everyone. You are not just effecting yourself, you are effecting another person: the person being born. But a counter point is that this would be a slippery slope to potential serious human rights violations...

What are your thoughts on this issue? I'm a bit torn...

I'm for it if it's done through hanging, firing squad or ridin' ole sparky. If you can't trust a person in society then why keep that person alive to drain resources.

[obdigore]

I only assumed preventing reproducing through sperm and what not. Either way, it still wouldn't help rectify the situation.

Then yes, its a pointless 'punishment'. The US populace has got to get away from this whole 'punishment' thing that we do to criminals. Criminals need to be removed from society until it is believed they will not commit crimes again, and understand what they did. Punishing them for the rest of their lives, even after you let them out of prison, doesn't help anyone, and especially doesn't help them not commit more crimes.

[zephid]

I'm for it if it's done through hanging, firing squad or ridin' ole sparky. If you can't trust a person in society then why keep that person alive to drain resources.

It's cheaper to just keep them locked up for the rest of their lives than it is to execute them.

[Vanyali]

I don't think wage has much influence on if people commit some crimes or not. Our murder rate is similar to your country but what you can earn in some hours of work there many earn in a month here.

Amount isn't important. How much you pay for essentials in comparison to the amount you make is the big thing.

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Vasectomies are reversible.

Are you assuming all criminals are male?

[obdigore]

It's cheaper to just keep them locked up for the rest of their lives than it is to execute them.

You realize that people like that generally don't care about things like facts and research.

[warzerotwo]

Only if we start with all the little Mengele wannabes here.

[Zantos]

Then yes, its a pointless 'punishment'. The US populace has got to get away from this whole 'punishment' thing that we do to criminals. Criminals need to be removed from society until it is believed they will not commit crimes again, and understand what they did. Punishing them for the rest of their lives, even after you let them out of prison, doesn't help anyone, and especially doesn't help them not commit more crimes.

I could see it having the opposite effect because they would look down and remember what was done to them, get angry, and then go on a rampage.

[Spectral]

It's cheaper to just keep them locked up for the rest of their lives than it is to execute them.

This is a choice that societies have made to allow endless legal battles and to compensate lawyers a great deal to fight them. There's nothing intrinsic about killing someone that's more expensive than caring for them for decades.

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Are you assuming all criminals are male?

I mean, it's not a policy I'm advocating. From a thought experiment standpoint though, the vast majority of value you'd get is from sterilizing males. There are many more violent male criminals than females and they're capable of producing a lot more kids. That they're also the ones with reversible sterilization is convenient.

A long-term IUD would be pretty comparable though.

[Damajin]

No, forced sterilization is just part of an escalating slippery slope that anyone who supports personal autonomy and is against excessive use of governmental power would be against. I'd rather see more crimes become capital offenses than normalize the populace to the idea of forced sterilization.

[derpkitteh]

yes, it should.

repeat offenders just shouldn't be allowed to spread their dysfunctional genetics.

[Vanyali]

I mean, it's not a policy I'm advocating. From a thought experiment standpoint though, the vast majority of value you'd get is from sterilizing males. There are many more violent male criminals than females and they're capable of producing a lot more kids. That they're also the ones with reversible sterilization is convenient.

A long-term IUD would be pretty comparable though.

I just wanted to poke fun at your comment, that's all. Mostly because of the way I read it.

[Zantos]

yes, it should.

repeat offenders just shouldn't be allowed to spread their dysfunctional genetics.

Got any source material showing that rape is any part of someones genetics? I can understand if you think the rapist may teach their children to be disrespectful and otherwise foster a mentality that rape is ok, but its just not a part of their genes.

[tss]

All I have to say is the Nazis did a real public relations disservice to eugenics.

[Poppincaps]

It's cheaper to just keep them locked up for the rest of their lives than it is to execute them.

How? I don't see how a bullet is more expensive than a lifetime of food and other necessities. I don't care for the death penalty, but that doesn't make any sense.

[zephid]

I get about $50 per month, rent is $100. :/

Yes you earn less money than someone who lives in the United States, but your cost of living is also lower.

[obdigore]

How? I don't see how a bullet is more expensive than a lifetime of food and other necessities. I don't care for the death penalty, but that doesn't make any sense.

Essentially, cases where the death penalty is available can only be tried by specific lawyers, heard by specific judges, are entitled to something like 3-4 reviews by other judges, take up a ton of court time, and then they still wait 20-30 years while they try to get retrials and stuff.

It's cheaper to house an inmate in the prison system for 50 years then have them do all that, while housing them for 20.

And we still manage to execute people who turn out to be innocent. Hooray!

[Rooflesstoofless]

So you're going to give a rapist a free vasectomy and set him free?

And that will stop them from raping how?

[Zantos]

How? I don't see how a bullet is more expensive than a lifetime of food and other necessities. I don't care for the death penalty, but that doesn't make any sense.

Its the process that the death penalty involves that rises the cost.

[Aphrel]

Do you support the notion that ALL seriously violent crime (Rape, Child molestation, serious assault and battery, etc) should carry a mandatory life sentence, and that the possibility of parole will be added IF the criminal agrees to the sterilization?

Considering the recent stance on rape, NO!
I dont think a drunk student hooking up with another drunk student should be punished by a lifetime sentence. (and yes, this is considered rape in todays society)

[derpkitteh]

Got any source material showing that rape is any part of someones genetics? I can understand if you think the rapist may teach their children to be disrespectful and otherwise foster a mentality that rape is ok, but its just not a part of their genes.

there's been studies that say some people are genetically predisposed to violence and violent acts.

these people usually turn out to be repeat offenders of assaults and other violent crimes. so, not just rape, but assaults as well.