this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2024
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Do you not think people can be cured of mental illness in the real world? It does, in fact, happen all the time. Including with the stereotypical violent mental patients.
And if someone commits crimes while mentally ill, and then is cured and poses no threat of reoffending, what purpose is served by keeping that person confined?
It isn't that easy with the justice system in most countries. You also don't know when someone is "cured" and when they aren't posing any threat. It just isn't that simple.
Of course it's not that simple. That's why, after people are institutionalized and treated, they're gradually given more and more freedom in structured settings - eg halfway houses, work release, house arrest with family - to make sure the treatment is working and the person is ready to be a functional member of society again.
It works that way in a country that actually cares about people, anyway. No guarantees if you're in the United States.
But the point is - or should be - that punishing people for acts they're not responsible for is both cruel and meaningless. The mentally ill person, once cured, shouldn't remain confined as punishment for crimes he committed while ill. The criminal, once rehabilitated, shouldn't remain confined for crimes he committed while ignorant and immature. In both cases, the goal of an enlightened system should be to return the person to society as quickly as possible and give them the tools they need to function as a valuable and productive member of society. Locking someone up for life benefits no one except the prison industry.