That's right, it's not fair. You're also right that high school and a lot of experience may be superior to a college degree.

Also, I'm sure cons are going for degrees are only doing it to trick the parole board into an early release. Still, it's better than pumping iron. Weight lifting should be prohibited in prison.

I stand by my comments. I struggle to have "luxuries" like cable tv; cannot afford a gym membership; have only a few semesters of college credits due to the financial hardships, but go to work everyday and have NO criminal history.

I would like one of those free degrees, but don't think I would survive dealing with the thugs in prison.

So...which is better: a degree obtained while doing hard time or a high school diploma and a lot of really good work experience by a law-abiding citizen? Seems to me the only thing the prisoners are getting an education for is to find a loop hole in the law so they can get back to life on the streets and a life of crime.

By the way: I'm getting really pessimistic in my comments. Maybe I need to stop reading the news.

There used to be a time in this country when everything was free. When you went to the store you just picked and chose and walked out. On the way out they gave you a big bag of money. The money was only necessary if you went to Canada.

What a great world we would live in then. If everyone had a free college education. I'm sick of listening to people talk ebonics.

Talk about the problems of society all you want, but it's a big mistake to use those problems to absolve criminals of their crimes. It is a great societal problem for criminals to get a free college education while non-criminals have to pay.

Is everyone entitled to a free COLLEGE education?

Were in America everyones entitled to an education. Just ask any illegal alien on the street. Remeber george bushes no child left behind. If you ever watch a tv show with prisoners most are very young and i'm sure they fell into the no child left behind catgory. Unfotunatly many were left behind. And are now young men and women.

Then that money should be used for the tuition of needy students who don't commit crimes.

The tuition for those degrees should be paid for once the con is in the work force.

ms_sassy_wi
I agree with this part of your comment.
People commit crimes because they made poor choices, not because they have a therapist telling them to follow through on a plan to commit a crime. or blame their crimes on their race or a lack of compassion from other people.
However this part is not necceraly the way it is in prison.
Criminals should not be able to order pizza from prison, watch cable tv, earn a degree while in prison.
Prisoners should be able to earn degrees they have to be able to conform to society when they get out. The pizza they get costs them more than you pay, and it's realy bad. Not like good pie you may get on the streets. The only ones who usualy get this treat is someone who has a loved one on the outside. the majority of prisoners are between the ages of 17 to 30. most are male but the female population is growing daily. Theres a kids book called it takes a village. And it realy does take a village to keep these people out of prison. It's everyones responsibility to be kind to others, give a helping hand when one is troubled. One hand washes the other, both wash the face.

I'm only saying that the mentality behind criminality fits nicely with the mentality of thera-biz: Bogus excuses for screwed-up behavior.

By the way, I don't watch that reality crap on cable, except I caught some of the that Dr Drew show and can't see anything that that knucklehead does as therapeutic. He typifies what therapy is in this culture.

There comes a time when people have to be held accountable for what they do. This type of behavior needs to be dealt with severely. It is not funny; it is very serious. There have been many students and teachers murdered by people who were not taken seriously in spite of their previous threats and we all ask, why. Find out if he really has a, “mental disease or defect”, and if he does, confine him in a place until he is cured of his, “mental disease or defect”. If he doesn’t have a, “mental disease or defect”, confine him in a place until he can just smarten up.
Just my opinion.

I do believe that "Stupid" is a valid disease.

The "deviance theory of crime" hasn't been abandoned at all, only its cause is a subject of serious debate. No one credibly argues that crime is not the result of deviancy in its perpetrators, only whether that deviancy is a matter of choice or defect of either hereditary or environmental origin. And, of course those debates rage on.
It's amusing to read the references to pre-19th century thought as though they were equivalent to prehistoric superstitions (not all such superstitions were baseless, by the way, only modernistic conceit leads some to think so).

while I agree that many therapists are not in their line of work to actually help people, the majority of therapists I have had dealings with (in professional capacities) have a genuine desire to help people live his/her life taking responsibility for their actions and defining ways to make changes to make his/her life more productive, law-abiding and healthy--not allowing someone to shirk the blame of his/her bad behavior onto society, parents or other scapegoat strategies. I know that some therapists are not qualified to live their own lives, let alone guide someone else's; however, I must state that the ACLU perpetuates the problems we see in society more than any therapy session could.

Again, prisoners do not deserve liberties that a free (read: law-abiding) citizen does. Criminals should not be able to order pizza from prison, watch cable tv, earn a degree while in prison or blame their crimes on their race or a lack of compassion from other people.

People commit crimes because they made poor choices, not because they have a therapist telling them to follow through on a plan to commit a crime.

A person's lack of working brain cells is not the fault of therapy, imho.

ms...sassy and northman, the fast and loose application of the contrivances of the therapeutic industry can actually allow an "insane" or insane person to walk around free.

The legal system is at fault for being in bed with the therapeutic industry.

By the way, talk shows have been free, invaluable commercials for all this nonsense, especially Ophra.

THANK YOU, Northman! It is decisions like these by the Justice Department that not only make me scratch my head in wonderment, but also make me so angry and cold hearted when it comes to my trust in law and order.

JCK, you are correct about the insanity defense rarely succeeding. But the temptation to use it is explained by my post below.

thekid, simmer down. Wait till later for the doobie.

“Millermon was ordered to stay away from any school property and the district's students.”
.
Huh? Why is this kid even walking around loose? If he says he’s insane, lock him up in the nearest nuthouse. If in doubt, put him in jail. But don’t let him run free, where he’s liable to find another gun and maybe use it this time!

It remains to be seen whether the defendant will actually succeed in his plea (most insanity pleas do not succeed, as JCK correctly notes). But mental illness is not a convenient fiction, and I hope none of the cavalier dismissals I'm hearing come from anyone who has to experience it in their family one day. I thought we abandoned the deviance theory of crime in the 19th century, but I guess maybe I haven't checked the calendar.

from another viewpoint, it doesn't matter what/how one pleads in some cases...as the Mark Staskal case has shown.

Attempting to not be cynical, I have lost faith in American Justice. The criminals get more rights than the person who had a crime committed against them.

My belief is that when you take away someone else's rights, you forfeit your own, whether you are deemed "sane" or not. The only difference in the sentence should be WHERE one serves...jail, prison or psychiatric hospital.

Stupid is a disease according to experts. It seems to have the I don't wanna face reality prescription attached.
Chemical dependence is growing every day due to modern mentality. This feeds pharmaceutical companies that love our money. Society seems to think its too hard to face reality or some people are not capable,so we treat it with pills and excuses.

The insanity plea is rarely effective so if it's some conspiracy between therapists, psychiatrists and drug companies they've done a very poor job of it.

i cant believe im going to type this...but well said gfan:) profit profit profit...

You can thank the therapeutic industry for that. They've turned every manner of human behavior into a mental disorder. All for the purpose of garnering prestige and customers and to expedite the sale of drugs.

I'm so sick and tired of people abusing the system and crying mental problems to get out of a crime they commented!

Is "Stupid" a disease?