To rehab, or to punish: what's a prison for?

A Vermont man convicted of repeatedly raping a young girl was sentenced to 60 days in jail plus sex offense rehabilitation. That's a bit shy of Vermont's usual range of 8 to 20 years.

The judge said he no longer believes in punishment, that it doesn't work. And that's true, as many sociology and criminology studies have repeatedly proved. But there is something to be said for keeping sex offenders off the street. Whether it's classified as rehab or punishment doesn't matter, keeping these predators away from the rest of us does.

The judge based his decision on two things. One, his own experience tells him punishment changes nothing. And two, the defendant is classified (not by the judge) as "low risk" which means he is not eligible for in-prison rehab. Therefore, a long prison sentence doesn't solve this problem.

Well, maybe not for the rapist. But it sure does a lot for society. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the best reason for prison is to remove threats from society. When a person's in jail, they can't rape innocent children.

I agree with the judge's sentiments, but sex offenders are notorious for recidivism. They're not good candidates for this kind of experimentation.