A seemingly random post...

So, through a seemingly connected string of events, I've had something odd on my mind lately. And, with an explanation as prologue, I have a question for all of you. Perhaps this will repeat my hit post of last season on education, perhaps not.

Here it is.

Over the summer, Bibi and I watched the show Deadwood, which was about a town with no law and no order. Well, no LEGAL order.

Now we're watching the show "Oz" on DVD. It's about prisoners, guards, and the entire correctional system.

A couple of years ago, I read a book, the title completely escapes me, but it was a collection of essays written by prisoners, many of whom were jailed for political reasons, but not all.

When I was in college I did prison ministry with my college religous organization, CCF. We went to a maximum security prison in Iowa a couple of times to meet with prisoners in a new religiously-affiliated prison rehabiliation program.

And, the most randomly connected experience, I have been in training for two weeks for the discipline system at my school.

All of these things call to mind the question that I put forth to you, my faithful readers, now...
What, in your opinion, should the goal or purpose of the Prison System in the United States be? Should our goal be punishent? Should our goal be entirely punitive? Or should we focus our energies on rehabilitation? And, if, as I suspect many of you will feel, it should be a mixture of these two goals, how in the world do you suggest we do that?

A couple of stats to start us off:
1 in 27 people in the United States is either in prison right now, or has spent time in prison. The recidivism rate for offenders is 75%. (Incidently, the rate is identical for students who have been suspended in the public school system; 75% of those who have been suspended are suspended more than once.)

So...there you go. What say you, blog-readers?

Thanks for stopping by, and I look forward to your responses...

Tommy