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Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

prison-off.com

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Re: Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

#41

Post by superflit »

motoboi wrote: post #36
superflit wrote: post #33

As a Brazilian this why we have the largest number of homicides and one of highest rate of homicides -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intention... What boils down is the Narco and crime sponsor policies that looks good on paper but on reality is made to free more prisoners. The govt likes it because "feels good" and reduce prisoner spending and looks good on UN stats. Lets by example say that I h…

As a brazilian I can say that you must keep thinking about those things and someday you'll understand why your arguments are full of prejudice and ignorance.

Personal attacks are not arguments.

Re: Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

#42

Post by guiraldelli »

motoboi wrote: post #36
superflit wrote: post #33

As a Brazilian this why we have the largest number of homicides and one of highest rate of homicides -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intention... What boils down is the Narco and crime sponsor policies that looks good on paper but on reality is made to free more prisoners. The govt likes it because "feels good" and reduce prisoner spending and looks good on UN stats. Lets by example say that I h…

As a brazilian I can say that you must keep thinking about those things and someday you'll understand why your arguments are full of prejudice and ignorance.

Would you mind to make a clear counter-argument, so it informs all of us what "arguments are full of prejudice and ignorance" and why?

I found the arguments very well rounded, with good references, sound math, and a window to personal experience that reflects the lives of many back in Brazil.

I am not going to pour more anecdotal evidences to reinforce the original argument, but there is a widespread problem of impunity in Brazil: the low-hanging fruits (known “chicken burglars”) are severely punished, in my opinion, while the extreme cases (both assassins and politicians) are “roaming free”.

As many things in Brazil, I have the impression that justice is only “para inglês ver” (just for the show).

At last, I suspect you might be biased by your own prejudices when reading and reasoning on the arguments of superflit.

Thus, I think it is important to neutrally reason and point out the flaws of the argumentation, as well as show new perspectives, instead of an empty, straw-man attack, full of personal sentiment behind it.

Re: Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

#43

Post by someperson »

yawaworht1978 wrote: post #3

This could be a bit discriminatory, Brazil has a high analphabetism rate, it will be worst in prison, I suppose. The ones who can't read should be offered courses and maybe start with easy comics.

> analphabetism

I've never heard that word before. It's a synonym for illiteracy.

Re: Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

#44

Post by beardyw »

someperson wrote: post #43
yawaworht1978 wrote: post #3

This could be a bit discriminatory, Brazil has a high analphabetism rate, it will be worst in prison, I suppose. The ones who can't read should be offered courses and maybe start with easy comics.

> analphabetism I've never heard that word before. It's a synonym for illiteracy.

Me too - which is ironic in this discussion. Not sure I am too convinced by it, it seems to derive from unfamiliarity with the alphabet. In small children at least familiarity with the alphabet is not the same as being able to read.

Re: Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

#45

Post by SlowAndCalm »

adflux wrote: post #30
planet-and-halo wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This exact phenomenon is discussed in "Punished by Rewards." It's probably one of the best possible ways to train kids that reading is no fun, of no benefit to them, and should only be done if promised some kind of prize.

A smart friend of mine proudly stated how little he read in high school, and that he has not read a single book since. He is 26.

I read a lot of novels in school and not many after. Reading is a vital skill but reading novels is not; a separation that was never conveyed to me to in school. For every great novel I have read, I've read countless more terrible novels and there is no greater waste of time than reading something terrible. Not reading artfully constructed prose has definitely taken a toll on my own writing though, as evidenced by this comment!

Re: Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

#47

Post by sandworm101 »

martinpw wrote: post #6

Maybe it was deliberate word play, but 'their' here refers to the prisoners, not the books, in case anyone else misinterpreted this headline to imply they were actually editing the books.

Good catch. I didnt read it that way myself but i can see how some might.

Re: Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

#48

Post by caenn »

someperson wrote: post #43
yawaworht1978 wrote: post #3

This could be a bit discriminatory, Brazil has a high analphabetism rate, it will be worst in prison, I suppose. The ones who can't read should be offered courses and maybe start with easy comics.

> analphabetism I've never heard that word before. It's a synonym for illiteracy.

It's more commonly used in rummage languages, illiteracy is not really used (in the same way that analfabetismo is not used in English)(my swipe keyboard even used the Portuguese version!).

Re: Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

#49

Post by lvass »

superflit wrote: post #33

As a Brazilian this why we have the largest number of homicides and one of highest rate of homicides -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intention... What boils down is the Narco and crime sponsor policies that looks good on paper but on reality is made to free more prisoners. The govt likes it because "feels good" and reduce prisoner spending and looks good on UN stats. Lets by example say that I h…

Could've been phrased better but there's so much truth in this. Murder solving rate is actually more like 6%. And indeed sentences are normally reduced to 1/6, but not because of good behavior, but "regime progression" which technically allows you to work outside prison during the day but there's not ever enough room in prison for spending the night so you just become free.

Take a relatively harsh 12-year sentence for murder. Multiply by 6% for the chance you get caught and divide by 6 for regime progression. You spend 43.8 days in prison in average. The 6% figure includes people who murder in public and don't even try to run away. Be a little smarter about it and your sentence is effectively zero.

It's pure impunity for criminals. And a harsh life for honest people. Not hard to predict the outcome.

Re: Brazil prisoners reading books to shorten their sentences (2020)

#50

Post by guerby »

French philosopher Bernard Stiegler "an important thinker on the effects of digital technology" became a philosopher while studying in prison (for robbery):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Stiegler

He wrote a book about it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acting_Out_(book)

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