Report comment

"The point is not to punish them [criminals] further, but to reduce the likelihood of them re-offending when they leave."

Oh, Lord. To labour the obvious, the point of prisons is:

(1) To punish them - "further" than what exactly the learned writer doesn't make clear, since what punishment did they receive apart from prison?

(2) To reduce (if possible) the likelihood of them re-offending when they leave.

(3) To protect the law-abiding from their violence and dishonesty until they leave.

Up until about 30 years ago not even the least learned member of the public would have had any difficult answering this supposed conundrum.