Answer the following question; give your reasons in as much detail as you can. Say why you think the way you think about the question, and then explain each of your reasons, so that you're getting into your own reasoning as deeply as you can.
A man has been sentenced to prison for robbery. He admits that he is guilty. BUT, you also know the following:
- He won't ever do anything of the kind again
- He is not insane
- He is not a danger to society
- His wife and children depend on him for support
- You will be able to keep it completely secret that he has not gone to prison, so it won't have any effect on others in terms of deterrence.
Simply click on "comment" below to post your homework answer. I look forward to reading your contributions!
Don't forget to put at least your last initial so I can give you credit for the assignment!
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteThis is a test of the comment system. Just click "comment" to post your homework answers.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis is from Joan H., who's comment got hung up in moderation:
ReplyDeleteYes the man should go to prison. All the extraneous information given does not deflect the fact he committed a serious crime and deserves the same punishment that anyone else would receive. The sentencing laws for felony crimes have very little wiggle room. This ensures that certain crimes have standard sentences so that extraneous details don’t influences lengths of sentences. There are many “one time” acts of crime which have resulted in prison sentences. Upon completing their sentences these people choose to live crime free and productive lives. I have serious concerns about this man’s character in that he knows he is the sole support for his wife and child and will still commit a crime knowing it could result in extreme hardship for his family. The bottom line is that this man’s actions deserve logical consequences and jail time is the logical consequences for armed robbery regardless of the known facts in the case.
Thanks.
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ReplyDeleteHardships are felt through out the world. Everyone goes through them, and it's just a part of life.Unfortunately people do things that they are not proud of, just because of one moment in their life. But can these moments, justify crimes that are committed?
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't think so. There are tons of cases of robbery, some cases more severe than others. Whatever the reason were for this man to have committed robbery is no excuse. A crime is a crime no matter what the motives are and no matter what the excuse is. The man made a conscious decision to make the choices that he did. In the facts about the man it is stated that he's not insane, and not a danger to society, which clearly means that his judgement could not be clouded in any way and that he was in the right state of mind when he chose to rob whatever place he robbed.
The man knew what the consiquences of his actions would have been and yet he still chose to do it.
So i believe that the right thing to do would be to put him in prison anyway.
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ReplyDeleteWell to what extent does his crime harm others? You said robbery so I would assume it is serious and not like stealing candy from a baby. Also to what extent does he remain in prison for? Anyways...
ReplyDelete1) If he robs someone he is in debt of owing someone of their property. He promises he would not do it again so does putting him in prison accomplish anything? Why did he do it in the beginning then? If he rob someone with the notion that after he would not do it again, would that be excusable? Jail is a deterrent for crime. If that did not scare him then that is where he belongs.
So he should go to jail.
2) If he is perfectly sane then he made a rational decision to commit a robbery. A rational person will undergo risk assessment before executing such a high act. A sane person would understand the responsibilities and significance of his action.
So he should go to jail.
3) He is not a danger to society which is a paradoxical statement he just committed a robbery as defined in the dictionary:
Robbery
–noun, plural -ber⋅ies.
1. the act, the practice, or an instance of robbing.
2. Law. the felonious taking of the property of another from his or her person or in his or her immediate presence, against his or her will, by violence or intimidation.
So he should go to jail.
4)His wife and children depend on him for support. He should have thought of his family before he committed this crime..or did he do it for them? Assumptions are not valid.
So he should go to jail.
Should I look at this objectively or subjectively? If I look at this subjectively please provide more information than the one you gave I need to know more to make an appropriate decision. The victim of this robbery how are they effected? I would KNOW that they are effected in a negative way by definition ROBBERY! I need to consider the welfare of the victim and this man not knowing the full detail to this crime. I would sway in favor for the victim.
I am going to look at this objectively put the man in jail.
Comment from Aoblepias:
ReplyDeleteAs the professor mentioned yesterday in class, the man has a job so I do not understand why he would do such thing if he is not insane.
First of all, robery is a crime and a crime is a crime no matter how you look at it, he did something wrong.
He has family to support and he's a grown up. He should know how to distinguish between what is right and wrong. Besides that, he should have thought about the consequences that he's going to face for doing those kind of actions.
I say he should go to jail but just for a short period of time if there's no major damage that occurred, so he could learn his lesson.
test
ReplyDeleteThe law is the law and since he did do the crime he should do the time. It is great that he will not do it again but the fact of the matter is that he did indeed do it. He needs to be punished for what he did but given he will not do it again I would be linient in his sentencing. He knew that there was a possiblity of getting caght and he did it any way.
ReplyDeleteKeeping it a secret of not being punished is morally and ethically wrong.Again the law is the law no one is above another and no one should get special treatment.What about the person who was robbed? That person deserves justice.
Honestly I think the man should go to jail because what he did do was a crime. Yet his family does depend on him but this is a double standard. Just because of this he shouldn't just get a slap on the wrist. He should have thought about the consequences and how it would effect his family. Although there could be some other reason why he did it. Someone could have forced him into it and is afraid of talking. This is only hypothetical but yet can be a reason. Only if this information is released he would then most likely get probation. In the end a crime is a crime and in this case we are lucky no one got hurt. Jail time should be given but at a reduced sentence.
ReplyDeleteI do not care how server the robbery was, the man has to pay for his crime one way or another. The man is not insane so he knew the concequences of his actions. As a result, the authorities captured and confined him while leaving his wife and children to fend for thier selves. Also if the man says he will never commit a crime again and is released, their is no guarantee he will be man of his word.
ReplyDeleteThe only way the man can go scot free is if he gets a jury to sympathize with him or get a good lawyer. Other then that, the man must pay for his crime. Depending on the severity of his crime the man should be punished with a sentenced ranging from community service to time in prison.
I personally wouldn't send the man to jail. Because the only evidence given was that it was robbery, with no type of violence. If you think about it some kids commit robbery in some sort of way all the time. You know when you were a child you stole some candy from the corner store or from another kid that you knew. So just because your older, you should know better but what is the real difference? He didn't hurt anyone, he's not a threat to anyone, and won't do it again so to me it seems he learned his lesson. Plus he has an entire family that he is supporting and they cant afford to lose him, so if the decision was totally up to me i would sentence him to twenty hours of community service.
ReplyDeleteI'm somewhat at a fork in the road with this one. In life people often make mistakes, some worse then others. Under the right or wrong circumstances people will do almost anything. YES, every crime has it's punishments but since I KNOW he will never commit a crime like this again I would not put him in prison. I look at his situation and see it as a chance for him to change. From what I see, he hasn't done anything like this before. Regardless of him being an adult and being of sane mind, I don't see it as a reason for me to sentence him to prison knowing that he is the soul provider for his family. My decision was based upon other facts..
ReplyDelete"Robbery is the taking or attempting to take something of value from another person by use of force, threats or intimidation... Any degree of robbery is considered a felony by law." (http://dictionary.law.com; keyword: Robbery)
ReplyDeleteThe legal system facilitates the mediation of disputes, or it decides the consequences for actions deemed to be harmful to members of the population (self or others). At anytime we can dispute laws and follow the necessary procedure(s) for amending or changing them entirely.
I would not go against his sentence, the man would have to serve his term in prison. We cannot pick and choose which laws we follow and which ones we do not.
MarkeitaM,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your decision, because for one there was no high level of extent to his crime. It was a simple robbery, nothing major was committed at the crime scene and nobody got hurt. For all we know the man could have just been stealing just to put food on his families table. Not saying thats right but, who knows? So i also would not have sent the man to jail for something so small
Honestly, I think he should go to jail because he knew the consequences of his actions. I feel like if he knew he was the breadwinner of the house, then why would he put himself in that kind of situation. He was of sober mind and knew was he was doing, when we are children we are taught right from wrong. There is no excuse to not be charged for a crime that you ADMIT to doing. Since I don't know any of the other facts of the crime, I probably wouldn't make his sentence very long but he would definately have to serve some.
ReplyDeleteDevin,
ReplyDeleteExactly. There was no evidence that he did a major crime where anyone was hurt. People steal everyday for whatever reason and you're right it isn't an excuse, but he might have been doing what was best for his family at the time.
BeniciaH,
ReplyDeleteHe most likely did know the consequences of committing the crime. And he should have to pay for his actions in some sort of way as well, but does it really have to be jail time? Why not some community service or house arrest since he is the rock of his family. The man was honest enough to admit that he committed the crime so I wouldn't say believe the man 100% that he won't commit another robbery crime but if he was man enough to admit to it the first time i feel he is somewhat trusting, and he should be given some sort of minimal sentence you know? no knock on how you feel about the situation I was just trying to get a different point across.
I would like to point out that the act of "secretly" setting this man free, you commit a crime yourself. A crime that itself is punished by a state or federal prison sentence.
ReplyDeleteThis man has created a serious crime. He should be sentenced to jail no matter what. There can be many reasons why he has committed this crime, but we don't know the real reason. It can be anything like being forced to committ a robbery, or who knows, maybe he himself wanted to test his skills and wants to see if he can get away with doing what he did. Some people thinks they are so tough that they can do anything. He could've said that to one of his friends and his friends would reply back, "then do it. Lets see how tough and good you are" and that would have been some sort of peer pressure.
ReplyDeleteBeing a source of income for a family can be very stressful at times. It's a common behavior to think in your mind, "what do I do.. I need money now..etc." but you would also think in your mind maybe like "i might get away with it.. or should i do it.. i have no other choice..etc." You can say in your mind "I know the consequences if i get caught, but i wont because i believe i can do this" something like that. I had alot of experiences with needing money asap and sometimes in my mind would be like ugh i feel bad and i know i shouldnt do this but i have no other choice, so you would steal money from people and other bad stuff to get what you need.
This guy should be sentenced to jail because he committed a crime. He needs to learn from his mistake. He says he wont ever committ any crime again, but now-a-days is anyone truthful? you can't trust someone that has committed a crime like that to keep their word. you would have to test them first by putting them in timeout, then talk to them and see what he says. You can automatically tell if a person is lying in what they say or not. I would have him in jail for a short period of time because his family needs him and he wouldnt hurt his family again. He should understand what he did wrong and promises he will not do anything like this again. still choosing to do the crime even though he knows his consequences is not right. There must have been something on his mind saying that he would not get caught so therefore he continued on.
The man should definitely go to jail because he committed a crime. Even though his family is reliant of him and I know he will not do it again, does not give him a “get out of jail free” card. Although knowing that he will not commit a crime again, does not give me a 100% assurance to know that he will not do it again. These facts should not be considered in deciding whether or not he will go to jail. Also, the fact that he is not insane, he should have thought about his actions before acting upon them. To a certain extent, committing a robbery has to affect society in some way or this would not be an issue. If I was to let him go free, it would be morally wrong and unfair to the people who are in jail and doing their time.
ReplyDelete-J. Omaque
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not think he should goto jail. Yes he has committed a crime but it was not a violent one and he didnt harm anyone. People commit crimes all the time and can buy there way out of it, while others are guilty and somehow get out of it due to lack of or thrown out evidence. You have to understand that sometimes people really have their backs against the wall and are pushed to go out and do things they wouldnt just do if everything was fine. There could be many different reasons why he commited the crime and in order for me to make a better decsion i would like to know why he did it, but going off of what i know i still say no jail time. I believe that all human beings make mistakes and everyone some people deserve a second chance. His crime was not violent, nobody was hurt, he will never do it again, his wife and kids depend on him and why pay money to keep him in jail because thats sure not free. I believe that while he is out he should have a chance to make a positive impact on the community, make him give up months of his free time with community service or sheriffs work cleaning up freeways. There are many other punishments that can be done that can also teach him a lesson and give back to the community rather then putting him in jail which cost money. So my answer is no jail time i would let him go free straight up and if anyone has a problem with my answer then speak your mind. -Celo
ReplyDeletejennifer maybe you should read the question that says "he wont ever do anything of that kind again"
ReplyDeleteKnowing that he would never do it again I would have to set him free. I feel that this decision would definitely be in the best interest of his family being as he is the primary bread winner. Removing him and his income from his home could cause the family emotional as well as financial hardship.
ReplyDeleteBesides we don't know why he committed robbery in the first place! Maybe it was because he's just greedy, but what if he's not? What if robbery and it's consequences were a much better option than what would have happened if he hadn't committed the crime? Maybe one of his family members was sick, and he needed money because his job just cut him back to part time, therefore making him ineligible for Health Care Benefits!
There are so many possible reasons for why this man could have committed the robbery. Without the details I can only base my decision on what I do know, which is that he's not a danger to society, and he wont do it again. Which is again why I would have to let him go.
He should go to jail. A crime is a crime, yes his wife depends on him and his child so?? How many single parents work and rise thier children, many. He isn't a danger to society and he wont do this crime again, I wouldnt give in. But i also agree with Celo, yeah its going to cost money to keep him in jail but he needs to learn his lesson!! and if he tought of it, to rob someone its not a good sign .. and ok he is not insane then why did he do it? i wouldnt make a choice for him with what we got but im still saying yes to jail time.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the man should go to jail, because he committed a crime. Even though his family depends on him for support, it was his choice to rob someone, and now he has to pay for the consequences. He obviously thought about robbing someone, or he wouldn't have just done it out of no where. When you think of robbing someone, you have to be thinking about all of the consequences that are going to happen if you get caught. He admitted that he was guilty of committing the crime, but I still feel that he should at least serve some time so that he can learn his lesson. Also, since he's the support for his family, he should of thought about what was going to happen to his family if he got caught.
ReplyDeleteUnder the law, “No crime should go unpunished,” therefore, this crime is no exception. Even though one admits guilt, it does not justify the crime. Regardless of details of the crime, a crime was committed, victims were involved and their lives were affected.
ReplyDeleteEven though it was stated that he would never do anything of the kind again, how can we as a society be assured of his statement? Knowing that he is not insane is an indication that this man acted on his own selfishness. Also stated, “He is not a danger to society,” let’s say this statement is true. This statement was not true during the commission of the robbery. In most cases, the victims are in fear for their lives. Also, knowing that his wife and children depends on him for support, gives no excuse for leniency. If he had thought of his family from the start, he most likely would not have committed the robbery. Not sending this man to jail and keeping it as a complete secret from everyone is wrong and unfair for whoever was victimized in his crime.
-K. Salazar
amadarivas,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you because there are a lot of children that are being raised by a single parent and they survive on their own just fine.
Thanks for your thoughts so far, everyone. I'm glad you're responding to one another!
ReplyDeleteRemember that the claims about him never doing any such thing again, and not being a threat to society, aren't meant as excuses for the crime, but to show that prison isn't necessary so serve as a deterrent to any future crimes he might commit (since we know he won't commit future crimes).
Keep up the good work!
To take this man on his word that he'll never do it again is irresponsible. The only way anyone could ever be sure that he'd never do it again would be to follow the man around for the rest of his life. Just as he might have been compelled to commit the crime initially, he may very well be compelled to become a repeat offender.
ReplyDeleteThe legal definition of robbery is theft by violence, threat of violence, and/or intimidation (see my first post).
Just as countless single mothers have done before his wife, she'll find a way to provide for herself and the children.
amadarivas,
ReplyDeleteI disagree with that. Although there are children who are being raised in this world by single parents that are doing okay, isn't a reason to send the man to jail. It said that he was the soul breadwinner, which indicates to me that without him his family will inevitably end up homeless.
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI agree when you said he must have thought about robbing someone cause he wouldn't just do it out of nowhere. You can't really do something without thinking about what your actions will cost you in the future.
-K. Salazar
It says that we KNOW that he'll never do it again, so technically we're not taking his word for it. No one knows the families situation, there are so many different things you have to take into consideration when deciding to put this man in prison. As far as we know, she can be ill in some way, or maybe she can't afford childcare. Maybe they don't have any immediate family members to help them out. All these things should be taken into consideration. This is a multi-dimensional case in my eyes..
ReplyDeleteGerard Z.,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you because I was thinking that if he didn't have to serve time, he should at least be punished with community service. Also, they say that he's not insane, so he should of known what he was doing and what would happen if he got caught.
MarkeitaM,
ReplyDeleteHe is of sane mind, he knew exactly what he was doing when he committed this robbery. I'm not saying he should be put away for life but he should atleast have some kind of reprimands for his actions. No crime should go unpunished for any reason.
There are a lot of people on this board who are saying that serious crimes should not have minor consequences. But as is evidenced by the appalling number of prisoners in this country, there are plenty of minor crimes that carry far too serious sentences. Look at the Rockefeller drug laws in New York and the three strikes rule in California. Our institutional system is already way too concerned with over-sentencing people arrested for non-violent crimes. I do believe that a lack of accountability sometimes leads people to commit crime, but I think that non-violent crime of this type is more often a product of hardship. This man's family would be placed in an incredibly difficult situation if he were placed in jail for a lengthy sentence. Let's focus more on raising people up than keeping them down. I vote for a community service sentence or some other form of rehabilitation that lets the man keep his dignity and remain as a role model to his children.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kelan who remarked that "we cannot pick and choose which laws we follow and which ones we do not", I just want to remind you of another saying which goes: dissent is the highest form of patriotism. This country was built on challenging and revising laws that do not serve its people. That's why women can vote and abortion is legal (at least for now).
ReplyDeleteNot having enough information, I came to the conclusion that this man should serve some type of punishment for his actions. If the crime was petty theft, maybe some food for his family since the living wage is so low, and then he shouldn’t have to serve A LOT of time in prison, maybe a week or so and probation. If the type of robbery was something less forgiving, then time should be served accordingly. Obviously the man knew whatever it was he was doing was wrong and turning the cheek to any crime should not be tolerated.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, as for the person that got harrased by the robbery, obviously they want the worst for this person! But as the teacher mentioned, this guy did no harm during the robbery and is not a threat to society. Therefore, their is noo need to encarcerate the man. Yeah he committed a crime but he has promised not to do any type of thing again. This man's family also depends on him for everything; so why put the family in a bad economic status.There's not enough information to prove the man guilty. There are worst criminals we should be dealing with instead of such a small crime that had been committed.
ReplyDeleteInstead of arguing why he should go to jail, we should think about how much money it will also save us! Putting a man in jail that is not insane, does no harm to our society and has promised not to do such thing, is honestly pointless! And i know this is probably off topic, BUT with that money we just saved not putting this man in jail, it should go for a better cause such as schools and our education. That's just my personal opinion.
Jessica B.
He should not go to jail, because jail is ment for correctional purposes. If he would not do it again then does he really belong in such a place. His family depends on him. Jail is a correctional institution he promised he would not do it again. So check he does not belong there.
ReplyDeleteJail is too isolate the "insane" people from society. He is perfectly "sane" so he does not belong there.
He committed a crime never the less. It is his first crime committed right? So his 1st strike out of 3.(3 strikes your out rule) So let him go. Yet he still dues the victim some sort of resitution...
Jessica B. said "And i know this is probably off topic, BUT with that money we just saved not putting this man in jail, it should go for a better cause such as schools and our education."
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's off topic at all. Spending less of our federal funds on prisons and more on education will go a lot further in making our communities safer than just tossing everyone in jail.
I would not put this man in jail because he still has a family to support and I know he won't do it again. If he robbed a bank I'm going to assume he had a pretty good reason (his wife got in an accident and would die unless he could pay for her medical expenses). If that was the case, then taking him away would mean that his kids would grow up without a father and in today's society, unfortunately, there's already too much of that.
ReplyDeleteThis argument could work for any other crime, but in this case I know that this man would never do anything of the sort again. He deserves some kind of punishment, but I wouldn't put him in prison. In conclusion, I think that family is more important than anything else and sometimes that can cause you to act without thinking.
Well, i personally think that yes, people do make mistakes and deserve second chances but at the same time i would def. send the guy to jail. one reason is because theres no gurantees that he is going to commit the crime again. Yes, he pleaded guilty but at the same time, just how people deserve second chances, people sould be responsible of their own actions. As i recall, Ms. Boyle mentioned also that the guy had a current job, now if he knows and he's aware that his family depends on him, why would he risk that? overall, just how he acted without thinking, he must face the consequenses of his bad actions, and he must learn his lesson by being senstenced to some jail time.
ReplyDeleteMelissa Cavenecia
AliceLu ^
ReplyDeletetesting
ReplyDeleteItis really hard to decide If I put this person in prison or not, because we don't have too much information about this case. First of all I need to know why he commited this crime(robbery) what were the motives that he had to robber. Second, I need to know what he robber if it was something with really high value or it was something with low-cost.....LM
ReplyDeleteWithout knowing this factor it is hard to take a decision because nothing can guaranty that he won't do it again. Let say that one of his children is rally sick and he needs to take him to the hospital if not his son will died, but he has no money and not insurance. In this situation I can understand why he commited robbery and I will not send him to prison, bacuase I understand that our societ has a tough economic situation and for a human being family is first.
This man has committed a crime in which he might've used force or intimidation against someone and should be sentenced to jail time. By committing a Robbery this man demostrated that he believed he could get away with a crime and escape punishment.
ReplyDeleteReleasing the man without imposing a penalty upon him would only secure the idea in his head that can avoid the discipline of the law.
Considering that this man is the head of a household he should have given careful thought to the repercussion of forcefully taking personal property away from someone else. Perhaps a stretch in jail will give him the time to consider that crime does not pay, that involving oneself in illegal activities has a negative consequences, and that proper judgement will have to be used in the future if he wishes to lead a normal life within society.
In my judgment I would only send a person to prison if he were a danger to other people, if the crime committed was severe, and if the victim felt that sending him to prison would justify the crime.
ReplyDeleteA large portion of prisoners who are released, go back to prison because they commit another crime. Sending him to prison would most likely have him returning. Not only that, as a result we would have to spend more money on what is already an overly crowded prison system; when the money could be better spent on education.
Not only would we be spending money to keep him in prison, but it is a possible scenario for the mother and children to be forced to collect welfare money or other government aid because of his imprisonment. Although he may not be able to support his family finacially, indirectly he could have saved his family the cost of having a baby sitter. But I would weigh my decision more harshly on his character.
If he isn't a danger to society then I assume that the robbery and the damaged caused to the victim was not severe. And there is no reason to lock him up so that he can learn a lesson, since he will not commit another crime ever again. I also see no reason to keep him confined if he isn't a harm to anyone. All that is left then is the debt that is due to the victim.
Because he isn't insane he knew what he was going to do and the consequences of the crime. Which means that his wife and children were also on his mind. Which is why I feel that there should be some form of punishement. Either hard labor or payment due to the victim and I would leave it up the victim to decide, as long as he keeps it reasonable.
Javier A.
ReplyDeleteIn general, I don't think that laws should automatically be accepted as "right" in any situation, so I'll say that disregarding the law is the way to go. Let him go, because you know that he's basically a good guy, he won't be hurting anyone, and he'll be positively impacting the lives of his family members if he remains free.
ReplyDeleteAfter thinking about it for a while I decided that I would not put this man in jail. My main reason would be that his family would surely suffer from his abscence. I especially thought of his children. They would benefit from growing up with their father as opposed to him being in prison. I also took in to consideration that he would never do anything of the sort again, and that hes not crazy. It was difficult for me to come to this conclusion but it really came down to those points. Knowing that he wasnt crazy and that he would never do anything again really allowed me to think about the situation in a different way.
ReplyDeleteA crime is a crime, you have to consider that if we were to let the man free, you would have to make an exception to other people that have also commited crimes. As much as of a sad story the man has of a life, you simply can't hide this information. You also have to think about the people he robbed and how it isn't fair for them. If I was to get robbed I would definately want the person locked up. Not really a matter of him being dangerous or insane, but the man must be punished for his crimes and if every person was to be let off for robbery atleast once, what kind of example would we be setting for our children. It'll be good for setting examples.
ReplyDeleteTommy Saefong
@ Skim:
ReplyDeleteI'm well aware of the Thomas Jefferson quote. However, dissent is quite different from robbery. The spirit of "patriotic dissent" is more along the lines of civil disobedience for the purpose of furthering a society (progress).
The fact that this man committed robbery is far from a noble cause. If we all followed that type of rationale what type of world would we live in?
From Lauren M.
ReplyDeleteLauren M.
Yes, I think that the man should go to jail. He has been sentenced and he acknowledges his guilt of the crime. In my opinion, to keep it a secret as to whether or not he serves jail time would definitely be more harmful than helpful to this man and his family.
Sure, his family depends on him financially, but he also has a responsibility to educate his children on how to be productive members of this society.
Not to lie, cheat or steal.
Our children are our future and must be taught values, such as integrity, honesty, accountability, responsibility, respect, trust and love.
At my discretion, I feel that my efforts and time would be better spent making sure that this family has the supportive services needed while the father is incarcerated and when he returns home.
Regardless of the circumstances or reasons he had for committing this crime, it does not justify or excuse his actions. "Do the Crime Do the Time"
Perpetrator
ReplyDeleteYes, the man should be put in prison anyway. I have considered the listed factors, but they still do not excuse his criminal act. There is a saying, "If you do the crime you must pay the time." Although I know that this individual will never commit another robbery, he has broken the law and there is a price to be payed for his actions. Robbery is a serious offence. We not only have to consider the act of the crime, but also the effects that it may have had on his victims. It's not stated whether he used a weapon, but I'm assuming he used a knife or a gun, but definitely something that can cause harm to another human being. Getting robbed can be a traumatizing event. His sufferers may have to take counseling for months and maybe even years in order to recover from such an event. He may not be a danger to society now, however, when he committed such a heinous act he not only was a danger to himself but also to the general public. Many people could have been hurt, someone could have even been killed. Because he is not criminally insane, it proves that he has a conscience and the alleged crime very well could have been premeditated. The gentleman in question has a loving wife and children who care about him very much. His criminal act shows how thoughtless and selfish he was to risk losing his family for a few extra dollars. Although I have the power to keep his crime secret, I am giving him the maximum sentence for what he has done. I cannot excuse the destruction which he has caused on so many lives because he simply will never do it again. Most people would refer to such language as "prison talk," language prisoners often use about the new lives they are going to live when released.....but it's usually a load of crap. One way or another, he is going to learn that robbery is a crime that will not be tolerated.
BY: Ja Nel Johnson
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ReplyDeleteI would not imprison the man, because although the information is limited, one can conclude that he is not a bad man. I am the type of person that loves to go by the book, even if it applies to myself. Although my first thought is to put him in prison because he has committed a crime, I would let him go because of his family, his apparent honesty, and I would save the state some money for keeping him out of prison. The quote “Everyone deserves a second chance” comes in to mind as I read this example, and letting him go back to his family is exactly what I would do. Sure I could put him in jail because he is not above the law, but by doing so I would potentially be making things really hard for a lonely mother and her kids.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I know for a fact that he will never do it again. Second, his wife and kids need his support. Therefore I conclude that the reason and/or reasons the man had to commit the robbery in the first place was per say an “honest” reason: the well being of his family. Since I know that he would never do it again and he is sane and not dangerous to society, this facts alone defies the purpose of sending him to prison. I believe this because to my understanding, society punishes people for breaking the law and sends them to jail in order to teach these individuals a lesson. Since he won’t do it again, there is no point in sending him to jail for this particular robbery; however, I would let the man know that this courtesy of mine would only happen once and I would be letting him go only because his family needs him.
This question deals with ethics does it now? So lets not assume if he is a good or bad person instead focus on what he did. Okay? He committed a crime he took from someone else and we have to consider the victim's emotion.
ReplyDelete"Scenerio": Let assume he robbed a bank for 1 million dollar to pay for his child brain surgery because his insurance decline to pay for it. Now he should understand the responsibilities and repercussion of this crime. He should SACRIFICE himself for the benefit of his child and go to jail. Sacrifice is the ultimate sign of love is it NOT?! So if he did it for good or bad he STILL needs to go to jail because NO one is above the LAW!,.
Prison yes is meant for correctional purposes however it is also a place for violators of law to pay their debt to society.
Im trying to be as just as possible but in my opinion the man should still be kept out of prison. Sending people to jail is a way to punish them for whatever crime they committed. It seems to me that he already learned from his mistake because he will not do it again and by punishing him in that way it would not only hurt his life but also his family's aswell. There is also no way of anyone else to know that he was not put in prison. And if he was put in prison he would be one more man that the government would be investing in money on to keep him locked up and its definetely not cheap to do so.
ReplyDeleteThis man seemed to be a good person who just made a horrible mistake. I still think that he should go to prison so he can learn from this mishap because sometimes people need to be reminded that life has consequences for doing bad things. Yea he says he will never do it again, but in times like that anyone would try to say anything to get out of a situation. The only way to learn is to go through your punishment and only then can you come out of it with a better perspective of how life works.
ReplyDeleteIm not saying that he should be locked up forever, he does have a family he needs to go back to and support. Take into account that he is not a danger to society, not insane, and is a family man, his sentence should not be so over the top. Sometimes in desperate situations people have to do what they have to do in order to survive or to support their loved ones, but this is not to say that if you do something wrong that you can get a free pass. Life is not about free rides, life is about learning from past mistakes and overcoming it to become a better person down the road. You live and you learn, but not everyone is perfect so we need to take in what we put out.
** Thom P. **
to Christian Talavera,
ReplyDeleteyes the info on the crime is limited so it is hard to suggest what we should do to him, but he needs to atleast take fault for his action. You cant know for a fact that he will never do it again because its just his words, if someone did something bad and they say that all the time, will you believe them? its hard to believe someone unless you know them personally and I agree that people deserve a second chance, but as the old saying goes, don't do the crime, if you cant do the time. His second chance will be after he serve his time and after that for sure he will know not to do it again.
You can't give him a free pass or else what about the other people who did the same thing and meets the same criteria as he did, being a family man, not insane, not dangerous etc.. will you let them all go too? yes i agree it is expensive to put people in prison and i do wish we can use that money else where like towards education, but life does not go the way we plan and obstacles will always be in the way so we must prevail and come out a better person from this learning experience.
From Ben H.:
ReplyDeleteOn whether or not to put this person in jail, you must first ask what jail is designed for, teaching, punishing, or detaining dangerous indaviduals (I swear this was in my origional post I made on wednesday). I believe jail is made primaraly to seperate dangerous indaviduals from further harming society, and to teach. The method in which jail teaches you is punishment. I say its primary purpose (aside from detaining dangerous indaviduals) is teaching because of the parole system. If jail were mainly for the purpose of punishment, there would be a set jail time for each crime that one could not escape from, as if they were released early, they would not have recieved their due punishment. Parole allows early release to people who have learned their lesson. There are also many cases where judges have demeaned felonies to misdemenours in our own system because they believe the behaviour was a 1 time thing. This supports jail being primarily a teacher.
So if jail is to teach and detain dangerous people, then it must be asked: What can you teach a man who has already learned his lesson? Whom can you protect from a man who is no longer a danger to society? The answer is you cannot teach a lesson to someone who has learned that lesson already, nor can you protect anyone from a man who means no harm. Should you put him in prison merely for the sake of punishment? If you put him in prison entirely to punish him, then isnt that the equivilant of revenge? For if you cannot teach him then punishment has no other purpose. What good does revenge, even government condoned, have on society? It doesnt have any good on society. You cannot repay a debt owed by taking time from someone else, in this case him, for that creates two negatives where a positive is needed.
In this particular case, putting him in jaim may even cause more harm then good. It should be asked what will a human do to survive? This man is the financial backbone of his family, who entirely rely on him. If he is put in jail, it is entirely possible that his family will not have the capacity to survive legitimately, and may turn to crime or other negative means to survive. It is also possible that they will be able to find jobs and support themselves, but by detaining the father, you allow the possibility of them using any means they can to survive, and it must be asked, is this risk worth it? I dont believe is. I do not believe that hurting the family by removing their financial support is worth it. Add in the fact that humans do what they must to survive, and by leaving an entire family with no means to preserve themselves you allow the possibility of further crime to happen. This, to me, makes it clear that he should be released.
Trying to post and learn at the same time LM
ReplyDeletei would release the man, because the original purpose for jails and correctional service was to better someones actions and make sure that they have no intention to do their bad actions again. if i already know that he will not do it again, then i say skip the jail process and let him go home to his family to support them.
ReplyDeletein response to AMADARIVAS
ReplyDeletei disagree with your philosophy about sendin g him to jail for him to learn his lesson. It said that he had already learned his lesson. The government has let plenty of guilty people off the hook, so whats one more. right? and he has to support his family. letting him rot in jail would support the stereotype of American males.
in response to Amanda Rivas, i completely agree with you, yes he should be put in jain because yes many single mothers raise their children just fine, so the need of putitng his children and wife at risk and with no money is BS. Also there is no ultimate gurantee that he will not do it again yeah he said he will but how are you fully sure, and knowing that he was putting his family at risk he should of known what he was doing. Every action has its consequence and he needs to learn the hard way.
ReplyDeleteCelo,
ReplyDeleteokay you might have a good point when you say that everyone makes mistakes and he shouldnt be send to jail because of all the information given..
BUT at the same time as you stated that many people get away with bigger crimes EVERYONE, should be punished for ANY crime they commit whether it was stealing a jacket or murder. That way everyone can learn that for every action and bad decision there is a consequence. the information given doesnt state much information in why he committed the crime or what pressure him to do it but either way he is old enough to know what he is doing and putting their family on the line is own fault, no one elses.
On behalf of Thom,
ReplyDeleteYeah it's true, people don't learn from what they did wrong until they are punished. BUT put yourself in the situation, I don’t think there's a need to waste money on someone that is going to jail for basically not a good reason. He said he will never commit such thing and there was no harm in the scene. And yeah you did state that he has a family to take care of and support so if he has all these responsibilities on the side, why even bother incarcerating him when that spot can be held for a worst criminal that actually has to be in that pin.
-jessica b
Gerard,
ReplyDeleteThink about how his family feels; yeah he committed a mistaken crime that didn’t harm anyone. His family depends on him; he is the bread maker of the family and without his support, then what? There is no need for this man to go to jail he has no harm what so ever in society he is not insane and the judge is not in this situation. We’re the one’s debating on whether he should go to jail or not. It’s our decision. Everyone makes mistakes that will be regretted further in life, and so many criminals committing worst crimes, yet they still do nothing to them.
-jessica b
From the facts given in this scenario, I personally feel that I would not send the man to jail. This man clearly made a one time mistake, and sending him to jail would just make things much worse.
ReplyDeleteThe prison system is made so that people learn, and rehabilitate from their wrong doings, and as stated above, he will not do anything of that kind again.So then if he already learned from his actions then why send him to jail. Furthermore we all know that the prison system is incredibly crowded and it requires a lot of OUR money to keep an inmate locked up.
Now, we do not know much details about the robbery he commited, but it does state that he is NOT a danger to society. If it stated otherwise then I would reconsider, and change my answer but if this man causes no harm to others, it is absolutely ridiculous for him to be sent to jail.
The most important reason for why I feel he should not be sent to jail, is because he is the household provider, and his wife and children depend on him. Sure it is true that women raise children on their own, but do you not think that it would be much better for the children to have their father present? I think so.
In conclusion, I strongly feel that this man should not be sent to jail, the reasons for someone to be sent to jail are ruled out, he is clearly not a danger to society, he needs to be there for his family, and lastly this will be kept a secret so it would not affect anybody.
--Maria C. Diaz
In response to Ben H.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with your answer. Jail is meant to teach people. And in this case the man has already learned his lesson. I think you make a good point when you talk about revenge, and how that is not a good thing for our society. Your comparison definitely shows how bad it will be to send the man to jail. A positive is needed, and you would create that through allowing the man to be free. He is undeserving of jaill time, and would be better of with his family.
--Maria C. Diaz
In response to Amada Rivas,
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point by stating that we have a lot of single parents raising their children, but I am sure you would agree with the fact that it would deeply impact the children in negative ways. If you can avoid the children the pain, then why not? You also said that he needs to go to "learn his lesson" but he already did. The scenario states that he would not do anything of that kind again, which translates into learning his lesson. He knows he did something wrong and will not do it again. I think you should also consider the fact that he is not a danger to society, and setting him free will be kept a secret. A crime is a crime, but I am personally considering the facts given.
--maria C. diaz