What should be done to criminals after they are found guilty?

Similar to the current debate about the Death Penalty but a wider question:
What do you believe should be done to criminals after they have been found guilty for committing a crime?

Take into account the different 'levels' of crime as I think we can all agree the consequences of swearing at a police officer should be different from the consequences of stabbing someone in the shoulder.

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I'm not going to go into petty crime as fines or community service seems to be a fairly sensible punishment. However I've always believed that prison is the best way forward for dealing with serious crime. I don't always agree with how prisons are run and I believe a new scheme to rehabilitate people who are finally coming out of prison is needed (although, saying that, I don't know much about what currently happens to them). But I strongly stand by the idea of giving everyone a second chance. I don't mean forgiving them for stabbing your grandmother and sending them straight back out into the world, I mean they should have do to the time in prison to make them understand that what they have done is unacceptable. After that, though, we need to teach them how to live a normal life again.

Anyway, if we carry on treating someone as a criminal after they've done their time, why should we expect them to stop acting like one?

Forward looking punishment for all crime including rape and murder. Punitive systems only perpetuate crime.


~~from phone

I'm extremely right-wing on this topic, but I believe to the most vile and serious crimes (e.g. Pedo's, serial killers, terrorists and some kidnappers - depending on what they did during the kidnap) should be tortured, and then killed.

A new prison system is definitely needed. I know some people that have been inside and they've come out and basically said it was like a holiday. Of course you have to have "good behaviour" to get 'rewards' but still, rewards? I find that strange personally. But then again, throwing them in a cell and treating them like **** isn't always the best option either.

I personally think there needs to be some sort of middle ground, where they are actually "retaught". Give them some sort of other option, make them do courses, qualifications anything where they can gain a useful skill to use when they get out so that they don't see crime as their only option - particularly for the younger ones. Only down side to that is, it won't work with everyone e.g. paedos and rapists as they didn't commit their crimes for financial gain. But then again this raises a completely different issue - if more courses and qualifications were made available for criminals whilst they are inside, guess who would have to pay for it?