RE: Why do we need Prison?
I think the concept of resocialization and prison are pretty much opposites of each other. Prison is an alternative society. Funny how resocialization is marked as wrong, because unknown by my spellchecking.
Also it is funny how people think murderers are always psychopath serial killers who just have an urge to kill. The wast majority of all crimes are against beloved one and family. That is because only people you love or are very close to, can make you feel enough hate that you kill them.
Also this conditioning of human minds by pain. Compare conditioning of dogs, is very questionable.
The concept of declaring someone an outlaw (german vogelfrei), banning or the subtraction of other rights might be alternatives looking into for serious crimes.
Oh and a side note I didnt know how to fit in the text: Many white people sent to America from Europe were sent as labor forces/convicts. SO you have a rich tradition of using con labor forces. ;)
But I didn't want it to turn too anti american yet again. Plus the problem might be big in america, I think prison as a concept is very flawed.