Incarceration in jail is the deprivation of liberty - liberty to mix with the rest of society. This is what a jail sentence is. It is not a sentence where the prisoners are to be treated in a cruel and negative way. Many prisoners who are treated humanely never return to prison. If a prisoner is treated inhumanely whilst incarcerated, then society can expect a resentful, negative and vengeful human being may well emerge. At Barwon Prison, many prisoners are kept in lock down 23 hours per day, with only one hour to exercise and feel daylight. (This to me is also inhumane).
Rehabilitation plays a large role in managing prisoners and the comforts that we take for granted play a role in the rehabilitation - television, education tools, movies, swimming pool and a lot of other everyday 'comforts'. But they are in prison and many of the priveleges have to be earned. Not one day would be easy whilst locked up. The 'comforts' are provided to make living more normal for all, and assist the staff also in the management of the prisons.
If you lock a person up and isolate them indefinitely, then would does society expect from that person on release? Treat them humanely, and there is a much greater chance of rehabilitation, and far less chance of mental health issues, which can be a danger to all.
We do not live in a perfect world, but the system of treating prisoners humanely is far better than the times of hard labour with rock breaking, which only produced more bitter, hateful and revengful individuals, who were a huge danger to society when released.
At the moment, we want the worst possible for the charged person, but what does that make us? We are currently extremely angry and upset, but does the desire for revenge make us better people? No, it doesn't. Better to find the positives for a safer and better society from Jill's death, and harsher, more depriving penalties will not achieve anything positive for society as a whole.
Having said all that, I am of the strong belief that the Government of Victoria (at least), has to look at the granting of Parole and I think it is time that sex offenders receive mandatory terms, without Parole. Monitoring, once released, would be a very good move, as the offender has lost the right to move freely in our society - given the widely held view that sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated. MOO
PS I am not a bleeding heart, just being realistic.
