Todays judical system is a joke. We put people who are known criminals in jails with other known criminals. Does it make sense we are supporting these learning institutes of crime? We put kids in prison for marijauna and they come out knowing more about stuff like bank robbery and car jackings. Come on.
My view is they should take all the child molesters, rapist, murderers and hard core criminals and throw the switch. Take all the prisons and make them into real schools. Sentence these kids to a associates degree. Test them and get them into something they'll be into, can make good legal money doing and and release them to a hopefully productive future. If they keep screwing it up, make three strikes the chair. Period. You think they'll go back to a life of crime then? I highly doubt it.
We also need to change the way the laws are instilled. Each law should be voted on by the people, not made up Judges, politicians, and self centered rich big wigs, who have the bottom line of who payed them the most, to consider, before they vote. Our founding Forefathers did not set up this great country with the politicians getting paid big bucks. They set it up so we could all be equal and because of the way the laws are currently being passed, WE ARE NOT EQUAL.

Don't forget the Checks and Balances..The system of checks and balances is one of the most smartest things the founding fathers accomplished to avoid tyranny.

One thing that would support your argument was George Washingtons fear of political parties..Know what I mean?

I think you have a lot of smart ideas, and with a little more thought a lot of them could be implemented. I am on track with your train of thought, especially with sending young, non-violent offenders to school instead of jail. If we gave people a better chance to make it, being legit, I think more would chose it.

We'll see how fast teachers and professors line up for those positions.

Make the pay right.

And the taxpayers? I think a more immediate reform for the prison system should be the legalization, or at least de-criminalization of marijuana. The power system in America does not give two shits about people who break the law and are not rich enough to get away with it.

I think that once we did away with the hard cores the teachers would have no problem with working this system. Once all the hardcores were weeded out, the funding would be there to pay these teachers. No more supporting real criminals for life. Plus we would be able to do away with some of the gaurds and hire teachers.
I am with you on the decriminalization thing. That would be a great start. These people should not be charged at all, let alone locked up over pot. What a big waste of money.
I think we need to head any new criminals off before they break the law and the only way to do this is to reach them early. Putting them in with real criminals; aren't we just creating more real criminals? Sentencing them to a degree is giving them the knowledge they need to make it in this world without crime. This is heading them off before they learn real criminal techniques, and helping to make them self productive, from which we all benefit.

That works under the presumption that "once a criminal, always a criminal." Our society may tell people who break the law that they will be criminals for the rest of their life but it just is not true. Assuming that people go to prison, not to serve the debt to society, but merely learn about their chosen (or not chosen) profession, so to speak. Prisoners may feel that crime is all they have, but that's only because it's been driven into their understanding of life.

What source are you getting your info from? I can tell you from first hand experience that the system is full of repeat offenders. No ifs, ands, or buts!
Did you read my intro? Unfortunately I was, at one time in my life, one of those repeat offenders and I can say, with absolute certainty, that a good many of the inmates in the system are stuck in the revolving door. The only thing to break this cycle, for me was getting a college education while there. I speak as someone who really knows, from my own experience.

The prison system is creating more crime and criminals.
A more effective approach is needed to succeed in deterring future crime, along the lines of positive reinforcement, (which is not always positive as there are negative consequences as well). Positive reinforcement focuses on specific behaviors and applies appropriate consequenses for a specific behavior. Different crimes merit different consequenses.
Throwing a whole bunch of people with a variety of problems ranging from drug abuse to psychiatric disorders to simply being poor and desperate into a communal living situation is dangerous and counter-productive.
Every one of these people needs to be given individual services on a case by case basis. Those who can be reached should be given access to education and supportive services to help them prepare for life outside of prison.
You can't just walk out of an institution when your time is served, ready to go out in the world and succeed without preparation.
Serious reform is needed. Would you rather your tax dollars go toward supporting prisoners for their whole lives or for text books? I'd rather pay for education and true rehabilitation myself.
Punishment, by itself, is outdated and ineffective. It's time the judicial system caught on to that.