Yes i need your help. I need some opinions, ideas, and answers on the following question for my conditioning and learning psychology class. Brain Storming FTW.

Q: How come people do not learn from the prison system. Ex: They go to jail, come out and repeat the offense. While when a person touches a hot stove they would never touch the hot stove ever again.

I need 4 reasons.

So far i got:

1. The learning time interval is immediate with the hot stove, while the learning time interval is much longer for the prisons.
2. There is a physical stimulus (pain) in the stove while prison is more psychological. Physical stimulus would have a deeper impact.
3. Every person would react the same to the hot stove, and never touch it again. While prison is more closely related to the individual person. It may affect some more as well as less for others.

Any ideas? All that halp will get high fives! ty

 

when people committing a crime, they are not thinking of being caught. Hot stove hurts every time.

Some crime are heat of the moment. they don't think before they act.

Not many people will hire people with a record. so those will remain jobless and committee crime again.

 

Hmm good points. Any more ideas?! Got psych in like 2 hours hahaha

 

For most the possible reward of the the crime is higher than the risk of going to prison.

 

I think it depends on the type of criminal.

For example, a pedophile.. arguably worse than a murderer since they destroy their victims lives, the victims family's lives and most likely any kids the victim may have's lives.... gets a slap on the wrist and let go. It has been shown time and time again that most of them are repeat offenders. I honestly believe the case there is that they CANNOT be reformed and should never be let out to begin with. Honestly, I think they should get a quick bullet to the head... and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.. they are not human in my eyes and deserve no human rights but that is more than you asked for.

For some typical crimes, I dont think the punishment is hard enough. I know idiots that have spent 5 years in prison only to get out and do the same old stuff again. One guy actually told me that he liked being in prison better... didnt have to work, had a bed to sleep in, etc. On the flip side, my dad had a friend that had a big misdemeanor back in the day and was sent to a South GA chain gang for a while.. he never so much as spit on the sidewalk again. Prison is for punishment.. rehabilitation should be after the punishment IMO.

For your paper, maybe take a look at the statistics on repeat offenders in AZ? I honestly dont know them, but the tent prison they have out the in desert doesnt exactly give you a nice cushy bed and tv all day long I would be interested to see thier repeat offender stats compared to other areas.

 

damn I'm driving right now and this is all I can write, but it seems like a juicy subject. hopefully when I get home I can reply before ur in class. if not ill probably text u lol.

 

Yeah i do agree that it depends on the type of crime, in addition to the punishment. Im glad that my statement that it depends on the person is backed up by your example of the guy who wouldnt spit on the sidewalk ever again.

 

haha thanks fab <3

 

I interesting topic but more for off topic area! I will leave it for now since its for school but after school its going to off topic

 

I know its off topic but who reads the offtopic page xP

haha thanks

 

Because the prison system has failed. It fails to reform a person, instead they create life hardened criminals. Today's prisons are overcrowded, filled with gangs, violence, corruption. If after you survive being in a prison, do you think you could function normal in society? Most everyone revert back to what they know if and when they are dealt with situations in life they do not know how to handle or react to. If all you ever knew was to be a criminal, act like a criminal behind bars to survive, then it's to little surprise they end up back in prison.

You learn not to touch a stove because it is an involuntary reaction to extreme pain. You could be a sicko and teach yourself not to react to it, and live in your messed up masochistic world.

my .02.

 

Because going back to Prison is not a Guarantee.
Committing a Crime is like taking a trip to Vegas..
You go in knowing there's a possibility you'll lose it all, but there's also that chance to win big.
It's human nature to take a gamble, at least that's my opinion.

 

Most criminals are career criminals. They will commit crimes no matter what someone tries to teach them. It's the easy way for them to make money or solve social proplems without having to work for it or compromise their wants. The prison sentence is only a delay for them. No known solutions to deal with that type of thinking or behavior.

I'm always amazed to read or see news about a criminal that has been arrested 20-30-40 times for the same offence and they still let them out knowing they will do it again. What ever happened to 3 strikes your out.