Would allowing pot in prisin improve behaviour?

[cybergenesis]

Well I have never been to prison, the most I have ever done was time in lockup for the weekend about 12 years ago after a drunken rampage (back in my days of ignorance, when I drunk instead of used the herb).

 

But it must SUCK in prison... One of the big problems- besides general hostilities- must be a lack of stimulation and boredom.

 

I honestly believed if they allowed *most* prisoners (not prisonerss with psychotic disorders or who are excessively paranoid or accusatory) to consume marijuana in their cells in exchange for good behavior and compliance, I honestly believe you'd see a significant reduction in violence in prison.

 

Marijuana while not a magic cure for psychopaths- it still reduces the tendency towards violence- much like alcohol increases the tendency.

 

Prisoners would LOVE getting it, and would jump over backwards and control themselves as much as humanely possible to get it.

 

It will never happen, but I honestly believe cannabis is about the only psychoactive, recreational drug that would actually improve the situation in prison if it was allowed.

 

Its like I believe, personally, that they should be ENCOURAGING aboriginals in aboriginal communities to use pot as an ALTERNATIVE to alcohol or even petrol sniffing. Its so much safe that it would significantly improve their health outcomes.

 

While marijuana is not perfectly safe, it is HIGHLY safe when used in conjunction with encouragement to use it responsibly by mature adults. It is so much safer than other drugs, that the more its used, the less money can be spent on more harmful drugs- the better the health benefit for society.

 

You hear about people occasionally. People that tell stories about how pot "ruined their life".

 

I honestly read one forum post a couple of weeks ago, where the guy didn't even apparently blink by saying that pot had destroyed his life, because his wife left him (she didn't approve of drugs) and he got in trouble with the police, and he warned others not to use it. Its like the dude didn't have the basic comprehension to realize "hang on, this is NOT due to the pot, this is due to ignorant attitudes and prohibition!"

 

But imagine how much worst such people who really think pot is so bad- I think they are ignorant- they should try alcoholism or meth or heroin addiction for a while, and then realize how lucky they were. Pot often saves some people, who are chronically prone to abuse drugs- from moving on to other drugs. Doesn't always save them, as social dynamics etc, will still push some pot users into using other drugs, but I know various teenagers which seem to have started using pot and decided to stick with it over other drugs they formally used like inhaling butane and alcohol.

 

In about 10 years, I am hoping to have the money to move somewhere where pot is legal or somewhere so remote that I don't have to worry about police.

[jimbojones5678]

I am hoping to have the money to move somewhere so remote that I don't have to worry about police.

yeah...it's nice

 

Jimbo

[Weed]

Based on my personal experience I tend to believe it would have a calming effect but we're not necessarily talking about rational people here...

 

Would introduce problems too, for example... though everyone might be given some there will still be the ones who want more and take from others and then who knows... make them "work" to get it back or something.

 

I think when dealing with people who are known to lack scruples, compassion and those other decent human kind of traits one has to be extremely careful. Now obviously I'm not talkin about old mate who's doing a short stretch for possession of MJ or a little bit of dealing to making ends meet whatever... obviously I'm talking about the more serious criminals

[Frazz]

well i reckon there would be a line up just to get in jail

like you get given weed to smoke in jail, but you are in jail cause you were caught smoking weed and were sent to jail for it

 

[Budman2012]

Haheheh Frazz ... I reckon you might be right , and then at the extreme there would be peoples that think it's not so bad to go to jail because at least you can get some weed to pass the time

Given such a thing the Jail time wouldn't seem so harsh. I know this is just theorizing

 

ALso gotta agree with weed , first thing I thought was ... hell yes it would do wondrous things for the inmates and attitudes ... but a few will flip out in that environment for sure , many of these people also classify as having 'mental health' issues too .. well duh

Sure on the extreme other argument one might say that Serial Killers are also psychologically unsound and should we feel sorry for them ? ... no. But in those extreme case I'd rather see these people anylized and tested and therapeutically helped in some way if not only to discover more about the human psyche and what the beneficial certain natural medicines can acheive in such cases. Ya dig? heheh

I'd think it not a bad thing if ALL criminals got a small dose each day and evening ... might want to get those Brutish Ex-Cop Prison Guards to smoke some too aye

 

Hmm , not sure where to segway from here ...

 

Well , many prisoners already get their Cannabis somehow ... often there are corrupt 'officials' involved ofc.

Maybe lessening the Stigma and problematic repurcussions of having drugs in Prison *already* that remain out of hand ... everyone could be satisfied with a bit of the humble sacred herb ...

ANd as Cybergen mentioned initially ... along with a few endevours for 'creative pursuit' this type of system could work quite well ... both for the unfortunate prisoners and the multi-million dollar corporations that own and profit off of them

 

I had more to say but have had a mental block ...

Cheerz and Stay Safe All

 

Budman

[DarkSpark]

Maybe start an "Agriculture" course in the prisons... Prisoners are allowed 1 square meter of land to grow whatever they like on it and 2 hours a day on the "Ag Farm" to tend to their plants and so on. It would allow them to learn, get outside and do somethign constructive... grow for or smoko or whatever (exclusions being some ethno plants that would have the opposite effect.

 

Or making prisoners WORK for their dope... a days work gets you a gram of weed or something. cheap way for the correctional system to keep its prisoners happy

[bbud666]

Or making prisoners WORK for their dope... a days work gets you a gram of weed or something. cheap way for the correctional system to keep its prisoners happy

 

sounds like a good idea..for the 1s whod want it which i imagine would be most..maybe give them thier g just before lights out when they are already in thier cell..that would stop any1 using it as muscle or taking other peoples smoke..if they fuck up during the day you get no weed for a week, for minor things anyway, obviously bigger things would attract different punishments like solitary. and no weed durin that solitary time.. then you have to behave for a week with no fuck ups to get your nightly weed back..

i tell ya what. it would be the quickest way to control me, threaten to take away my buds...

 

in any case it would have to be fully monitored when they recieve it somehow..like weed said," your dealing with people that are already known to lack scruples", and if they doin life or a never to be released deal, what have they got too lose, cant exactly send em to jail again..maybe imprison the corpse after they die..... i think not..

 

but all in all i think its an idea with a great deal of merit.. and i think it would be a positive move..but unfortunately, i dont think any govt in my life time is gonna risk votes for the headlines thatll create..can just imagine the vultures now.." kevin rudd gives prisoners drugs to buy good behavior" or "good time kev get cons dancin to the jailhouse rock hard buds or "kev gives kids kiddyrapist pot".... actually fuck them, those cunts get nothin cept castrated and a big CR branded into thier forehead..

 

actually now ive said that im re thinking.. because it would have to be a all or no1 type thing and there are people in jails i think should just be shot and save us some money, they are of no use to any1....but at the same time if like budman says, it can help us to understand something in these people so that science and phsycology can learn how to identify certain behavioral traits that make them the way they are, they might be able to learn how to see these signs in early life and do something about it befor e they grow up and rape some1s grandmother or slit some1s throat for fun then its GOTTA be a good thing.. although, from experience ( most of my teenage friends are either in or have been to jail) id have to say more often than not its the environment we grow in that shapes the person we become..not many jeffery dahmers out there that are just born bad, most are raised in an evironment that places them into that lifestyle..

 

and not every1 in jail for kiiling is a bad person..intention to kill and killing some1 are 2 different things i feel.. circumstances can vary greatly... yes you still took a life but the 1s that dont care are the problem and thats where my dilemma is here becuase the thought of tax payers funding some peice of shit like martin bryant or dennis ferguson to relax, have relief or be comforatable in any way makes me pretty pissed off to say the least, but they are the 1s we need to learn the most from to prevent repeat versions of them popping up. so i spose thats more societys dilemma than just mine......

 

so of two minds on that 1.. i think it would help the general population to behave better but i am somewhat reserved about providing " new life to dead wood"..... but if it is fro education purposes and can help with the betterment of the human race in the future it has to be worth a shot i spose..

i dunno, its a hard 1, has me thinking and my thoughts are contradicting each other.. perhaps i best go smoke some and ponder the proposal in a much deeper oblivionated way.. i have faith in the force, it will guide me to the right path...

 

cheers...

[Al Fish]

Cannabis is available in gaol. Particularly for minimum security, weekend detention gaols - like Emu Plains. Those incarcerated used to jump the fence, score at the local pub and jump back over and distribute. The guards could smell it and appreciated that it kept everyone easy to deal with. I expect that it still occurs at places like Emu Plains. The guards knew where they jumped the fence. Although you don't need to be a genius to be a prison guard they just could not have been that stupid or that lacking in the olfactory department.

 

Al.

[DarkSpark]

Cannabis is available in gaol. Particularly for minimum security, weekend detention gaols - like Emu Plains. Those incarcerated used to jump the fence, score at the local pub and jump back over and distribute. The guards could smell it and appreciated that it kept everyone easy to deal with. I expect that it still occurs at places like Emu Plains. The guards knew where they jumped the fence. Although you don't need to be a genius to be a prison guard they just could not have been that stupid or that lacking in the olfactory department.

 

Al.

 

Good call al, avaliable but not supplied.

 

its the same up and the farm here on the coast. Except peeps don't jump out others throw hollowed sticks and balls over the fence etc.. It really is a good call on the guards behalf... i would also agree that the guards knew and elected to pretendnot to notice thats my kind of jail... Free food and shit, sneak out for a beer and a bong occasionally... sounds like when i was at boarding school, minus the $10,000 fees a year xD

[cybergenesis]

Cannabis is available in gaol. Particularly for minimum security, weekend detention gaols - like Emu Plains. Those incarcerated used to jump the fence, score at the local pub and jump back over and distribute. The guards could smell it and appreciated that it kept everyone easy to deal with. I expect that it still occurs at places like Emu Plains. The guards knew where they jumped the fence. Although you don't need to be a genius to be a prison guard they just could not have been that stupid or that lacking in the olfactory department.

 

Al.

 

Interesting post... Feel free to share any other prison info stories you have

 

Interesting the point you made about the prison guards finding it makes the prisoners easier to deal with.