NationStates Jolt Archive

Hello all,

Over the next few weeks, I plan to construct a bill on the reform of prisons, to go before the United Nations, using the guide given by this forum.
Before I write, I wanted to ask you what kind of things you would like in. One of the things that will be include will the rehabilition of prisoners. In addition, there will no outright ban on the death penatly, but a comprimise, because no-one can agree on that issue by going one way or t'other.

Thank you,
Stansfeldland

Include a clause recognizing that not all nations have prisons.

Firstly I commend the honourable member having read the relevant information. I wish more nations would follow that example. We have recently had a debate about prisons, which can be found in this thread for your reference. Also I would recommend you stay well clear of the death penalty if at all possible, since I fear the debate you wish to instigate will more than likely be overshadowed by a debate on the death penalty.

http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=369876&highlight=Prison

I look forward to reviewing your draft in due course and best of luck.

Respectfully
Lydia Cornwall, UN Ambassador
Office of UN Relations, Dept for Foreign Affairs
HM Government of Telidia

Greetings Esteemed Delegates,

The Delegate from Stansfeldland has a point. Prison should be mandated to maintain a certain minimum level of treatment and overall living conditions. Such a level would be in accordance with the standards of human decency and health.
However, as another Delegate had mentioned, we must trend carefully the thin line between mandating decent prison conditions, and dictating sentencing policies. Mixing in the difficult question of capital punishment risks losing sight of the original proposal.
Prison conditions are a humanitarian concern; we've all heard the horror stories that arise from brutal regimes. Such excesses and neglect should rightfully be banned; governments should be required to maintain their prisons and conduct the business there with certain stipulations. Just as no government should be permitted to systematically subjegate a portion of it's populous (ie slavery, serfdom), neither should they be permitted to allow anarchy and corruption to rule within the walls of their prisons.
A certain amount of effort should be required for rehabilitation, certainly. Those convicted felons who possess the motivation and desire to make a change in their lives, should be given an opportunity to do so. Education and vocational training will go a long way to preparing a felon to return to the society at large. However, the recognition that some felons are completely unsuited for such a return must be made.
Similarly, many governments feel that certain truly egregious crimes demand the ultimate punishment. We would be within our bounds to mandate such punishments be carried out as humanely as possible, but it is beyond our authority to dictate when such sentences should be applied.
If we start dictating sentences and/or punishments, we are overstepping ourselves. We are here to guide and formulate the overall world community, not dictate the particulars of day to day jurisprudence. To do so, we seriously erode the boundary between national soveriegnty and global community. To do so, we begin running the member countries FOR them. We are not babysitters, neither are we nannies.