Here is a question for the ages; what would a world without prisons look like? It is easy to think about all of the positive possibilities that could arise from this, but it is also easy to think of all of the negative possibilities. Without prisons all of the murderers and drug dealers will be back on the streets wreaking havoc and making life rather miserable for the general population. But in reality, that is not what would happen. Having a world without prisons does not mean having a world without punishment. And even using the word punishment is a little harsh. On very plausible solution to eliminating prisons but still ‘punishing’ offenders would be restorative justice practices. These practices can range from community circles like what Washington County Community Circles does, to restorative justice centers, like what a TED talk that I watched spoke about. So it’s not just eliminating prisons and letting those who are in prison roam the streets, it is finding a better solution to mass incarceration in America. Many countries around the world are already implementing restorative justice practices into their own criminal justice system. America is rather far behind in having a well-oiled criminal justice machine of a system, but there are things that can be done to fix that.
To watch the TED talk, you can find it here; https://goo.gl/GfAwc4