There are a lot of great points to consider and discuss in the material
presented in “Crime and Punishment”. Some of these topics that
McQuilkin and Copan present are the source of criminal activity, the
relationship between law and morality, and the purposes of punishment.
Most appropriate to this discussion are the alternatives to incarceration in
prison, specifically in the section titled, “Alternatives to imprisonment”.
McQuilkin and Copan note that imprisonment tends to only fulfill the
retributive purpose of punishment but neglects the aspects of
rehabilitation, deterrence, and protection of the innocent (McQuilkin 2013,
436). However, they do concede that incarceration protects the innocent
from any further harm. Some of the alternatives that the authors present
are deprivation of privilege, corporal punishment, banishment, monetary
fines, or community service (McQuilkin 2013, 437). They even note that
military service can be an acceptable and appropriate punishment in
some countries, depending on the crime (McQuilkin 2013, 437). As noted,
incarceration in a heavily burdened system for drug offenses may not be
the most appropriate use of resources.
The Bureau of Prisons records that nearly half of all prisoners are currently
serving a sentence from a drug related conviction
(https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_offenses.jsp).
While they don’t note the severity of the crime, if even half of those are
from minor, non-violent drug charges, that is still nearly 25% of all the
people in prison. Considering that there are more than 150,000 Federal
inmates, this accounts for nearly 40,000 people. This is not accounting for
any non-federal inmates. Certainly, there must be alternate and better
was to address the challenges and struggles that life in prison present to,
at least some of, these individuals.
Sandro Cabral and Maria-Fátima Santos report promising results from the
use of positive mentorship and accountability dynamics to produce
rehabilitation and reduce recidivism (Cabral 2018). Vilani Sachitra and
Neranji Wijewardhana note that willing and active engagement in these
types of programs can be successful in this process (Sachitra 2020, 31).
Dr. Alwyn Cohal also notes that often the most productive course of action
is drug treatment and continued care (Cohal 2016).
Perhaps the best plan for minor drug offences includes a combination of
mentorship, treatment, and public service that leads to restitution to the
public or injured party. However, there is a dangerous aspect to this
concerning unequitable sentences based on unconscious (or conscious)
bias on the part of the judicial system or adjudicating judge.
@
Cabral, Sandro, and Maria-Fátima Santos. (2018) Accountability
Mechanisms in Public Services: Activating New Dynamics in a Prison
System,@International Public Management Journal, 21:5, 795-821, DOI:
10.1080/10967494.2016.1141815
Cohal, Alwyn T. (2016) “Falling Through the Cracks:” Young Adults, Drugs,
and Incarceration.@American Journal of Public Health.@106:6, 972-973. DOI:
10.2105/AJPH.2016.303214
McQuilkin, Robert, and Paul Copan.@An Introduction to Biblical Ethics:
Walking in the Way of Wisdom.@Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2013.
ISBN: 9780830828180.
Sachitra, Vilani amd Neranji Wijewardhana. (2020) The road to develop
prisoners’ skills and attitudes: an analytical study of contemporary prison-
based rehabilitation programme in Sri Lanka.@Safer Communities.@19:1,
15-34, DOI: 10.1108/SC-01-2019-0002
