Inmates reduced sentence for reading books

What do you think of this?


In Brazil, prisoners can reduce sentences four days by reading books and submitting book reports, cutting off up to 48 days each year
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/brazilian-inmates-offered-reduced-sentences-reading-books
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It's only a short amount of time you can get reduced every year, I mean knocking off a month and a half for reading 12 books and writing book reports on every one.

My co-workers are outraged but we already have over crowded prisons.. this doesn't exactly reform them in any fashion but at least they're educating themselves somewhat and staying out of trouble.

Thoughts?

Meh, I guess it depends on what they're in for. I wouldn't want a convicted murderer released because he read The Grapes of Wrath.

I suppose it keeps the prison somewhat controlled?
They are all to busy reading for anything else? haha

It's a month and a half a year. If your murderer is in for 30+ years, he's still not getting out tomorrow.  

And maybe they'll read something that will educate them on how they should act in society. One would hope anyway.

Quoting Blair Waldorf (SuperKink):" It's a month and a half a year. If your murderer is in for 30+ years, he's still not getting out tomorrow. ... [snip!] ...   And maybe they'll read something that will educate them on how they should act in society. One would hope anyway."

No need for the eye roll.

It was a joke.

 

Quoting Squeaky McGee [17 wks]:" Meh, I guess it depends on what they're in for. I wouldn't want a convicted murderer released because he read The Grapes of Wrath."

I believe the books would be supplied by the prison so I'm not sure how up to date the books would be. I think it would also depend on their sentence, if you're only in for a year you have no business reducing that by 48 days.

I like it.

Its no different than being released early for good behaviour.

Its better, in fact.

Quoting Squeaky McGee [17 wks]:" No need for the eye roll. It was a joke.  "

 

Quoting Blair Waldorf (SuperKink):" It's a month and a half a year. If your murderer is in for 30+ years, he's still not getting out tomorrow. ... [snip!] ...   And maybe they'll read something that will educate them on how they should act in society. One would hope anyway."

My only issue with this being in place here or in the US is that I don't think prison sentences are long enough to begin with, not with parole and good behaviour and such.

But in Brazil... I mean they don't really smurf around there.

Quoting Danielle: Jack&Basil'sMom:" I like it. Its no different than being released early for good behaviour. Its better, in fact."

 

Quoting Legendary Amandα :" My only issue with this being in place here or in the US is that I don't think prison sentences are ... [snip!] ... to begin with, not with parole and good behaviour and such. But in Brazil... I mean they don't really smurf around there. "

Yeah. I think in Georgia, if you're sentenced to life in prison for murder/rape/etc, you can get out in 8 years on good behavior. EIGHT YEARS?!

At least that's what I heard when I was in high school. I hope to God somebody was wrong or that it's changed since then.

But I do know your sentence is worse for rape here than it is for murder so you might as well kill them.  

<blockquote><b>Quoting Squeaky McGee [17 wks]:</b>" Meh, I guess it depends on what they're in for. I wouldn't want a convicted murderer released because he read The Grapes of Wrath."</blockquote>




I don't think they'd knock years off a life sentence, and even with 25 years, he'll barely get like what, 2 years off his sentence.

I think it's a good idea. It's way better than just giving people kicks because the prison is too crowded.

Quoting Blair Waldorf (SuperKink):" Yeah. I think in Georgia, if you're sentenced to life in prison for murder/rape/etc, you can get out ... [snip!] ... since then. But I do know your sentence is worse for rape here than it is for murder so you might as well kill them.  "

Well a lot of the time rape is hard to prove so they will drop a rape charge and hit them with an assault or assault causing bodily harm with a side of trespassing or confining/kidnapping. So even though rape has a long sentence you don't necessarily end up in jail for a long time for raping someone. If that makes sense.

And of course that can happen sometimes with murder too. With everything it can happen, people get lesser charges just to make sure they see the inside of a jail cell versus being found innocent on the harsher charge they couldn't prove.

And you're right, it's not 8 years here but even if everything goes flawlessly in court, you don't really stay in jail for LIFE more often than not.

So it's hard to say, maybe on a case by case basis, but a warden doesn't have the qualifications to say if got a fair sentence or not KWIM?

Quoting [Boats&Hoes]:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Squeaky McGee [17 wks]:</b>" Meh, I guess it depends on what ... [snip!] ... off his sentence. I think it's a good idea. It's way better than just giving people kicks because the prison is too crowded."

This, this, this.

This is exactly how I feel.

It really depends on what they're in jail for. If they're in for things like petty theft then all the power to them. Educate them and release them so they can become productive citizens. But if they're in jail for rape, molestation, murder, etc.. then they don't deserve to get out of jail ever.