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kahrkunne

One of the major purposes of prisons is deterrence, and for that prisons need to be awful.

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In theory, harsh prison conditions deter would-be criminals.

Do you have any evidence that reality conforms to this theory?

>>Do you have any evidence that reality conforms to this theory?

Do you have any evidence that reality doesn't conform to this theory?

Not a counter-question just for the sake of counter-questioning; I am sincerely interested in knowing.

The US has harsh sentences and high crime.

Is it possible we would have higher crime with lighter sentences?

This in itself doesn't prove anything. Compared to what it's harsh and high? e.g. China may have harsher sentences and lower crime.

While longer prison sentences do deter crime up to a point ( http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2016/03/criminal...) I've not seen any data that would grade effectiveness of prisons based on their awfullness. No matter how "cushy" the prison environment is, it's still a prison. Awful prisons only dehumanize convicts and guards alike for no purpose.

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