Is it criminal, or not?

[Mitera Nikkou]

The prisons are over-filled and many states are buckling with their upkeep. Then the government proposes that all criminals with sentences that would last beyond their lifespan, and those sentenced to death, would instead have their minds altered so they could return to society as productive and law-abiding citizens.

[Haylie]

Yes, I would. I don't really know anyone in their right minds that would willingly break the law unless lives were at stake, and those that do need to get in their right minds, ASAP. Plus, it saves money and nobody gets hurt.

[Xia]

Haylie, while what you believe is indeed admirable, I hate to break it to you but, alot of people who commit crimes are in their right mind, in fact, more than alot, most of them.

And as for the question, I say no. It would set a dangerous precedent. In doing this you would be telling people they don't have to take responsibility for their actions, that they have a free pass back into society.

[Mitera Nikkou]

In doing this you would be telling people they don't have to take responsibility for their actions, that they have a free pass back into society.

Not quite. It's not them that return. Essentially they die, becoming an economical product.

[Alissa of Someday]

Ehhh...
Despite my own enjoyment of mental changes in TFs and whatnot, I'm not sure if I would approve of this--I mean, it would certainly be...practical, I suppose--and it's kind of just a more practical death sentence...but personally, if I somehow found myself in that situation, I think it's possible that I might prefer death, somehow.

*Is filled with indecision.*

[Mitera Nikkou]

If you found yourself in that position then you probably deserved it. ;p But I can see the worry of having it used on people who were either wrongfully accused or set up for the fall.

[Alissa of Someday]

Oh--I agree on that point...XD
Generally, people on death row deserve whatever comes at them, methinks, but I'm still not...sold on it, really. It's giving me Clockwork Orange-y vibes.

[Melkorios]

I agree in that matter... People who did it, deserve it... I'm not really sure though, sounds a bit farfetched to me...

[Helel]

If 'brainwashing' were the way that the government would deal with death-row, life sentence prisoners, what's to stop the government from using the same inhumane practices in other areas? :/

it's feasible to alter these people in a way that would allow them to become 'proper' citizens again, but that's dependent upon what is believed as a proper citizen, and such things are easily corrupted, despite whatever admirable intent there is.

That and I'll agree with Xia on the note that a lot of people that commit crimes do so in their 'right' mind, so putting them back into a right mind would probably be ineffective and just introduce a slew of more costly liabilities.

That's just me though. America could always do what Britain did, and just ship all their prisoners to some remote place (Australia) and let them fight it out with the locals and start their own country.

[Flannery]

I have my own theory.

The Punisher. Plain and simple. He doesn't need a badge, or a warrent.

[Anamnesis]

I agree with the black mage guy. Punisher. That or wide scale purging of the human race and anything that is rotting in, via fatal notepads or similar.