Criminal Conviction ruins a people's life

[monoko2001]

Will Criminal Conviction ruins a people's life? I peronally have no ideas. But the society seems not to accept people who have criminal convictions. But well, we have to give people chances.

What do you guys think? I have to write a 700-word essay with this topic.

Thanks a whole lot!

[kevb0444]

Hi..i think it really depends on what they were convited for and if they are a repeat offender.

[smudge]

What like the 'B' who raped the little 6 week old baby - I wouldn't give him another chance......!

Sorry but these people shouldn't ever be allowed out of prison & given another chance - to rape again!!!!

[Hamish]

I think it depends on what the conviction is for. Any conviction show a person has some level of contempt for the law, however who among us can say we have never broken a law?

I am interest in where you are though monoko2001 - are you in the US or the UK? I get the impression that the people of the US are far less tolerant in this respect than those of the UK.

[Jay70]

Not if Charles Clarke has anything to do with it.!!

I totally agree that it depends on the type of conviction and how many times they've had this conviction. If it was for a one off drunken brawl / burglary then yes then they should have another chance. If they are a danger to anyone or have done something repeatedly then they should be taken out of the community. There was an article in the paper about the girl who was murderd in Reading where the offenders were joking and laughing in the dock and showed no remorse. IMO they deserve the death penalty.

[noxlumos]

I have very old convictions for violence including a GBH and those convictions can never be considered "spent" as I served more than 2 1/2 years, I believe it is, in prison.This means I miss out on going to America and some other countries bc of visa problems but tbh as I hve my own businesses not a lot else.It hasn't ruined my life, in one way it made it, because I couldn't get employment after Ieft prison so started my own business, but if you're not inclined to do so, then it's a life on the dole or back into crime.Socially there is a huge stigma attached to prison rather than crime and I never mention it to new acquaintances in the real world as it would cause problems for my family and also I am now not the same man I was in my teens or twenties in any way.I know what you are saying about scant regard for the law, as at the time I had absolutely none but that changes as you grow older and as your own life evolves and you become ( hopefully) wiser, but I agree that some people ( paedophiles etc) need constant keeping an eye on after release as their likelihood of re-offence is very high and their victims very vulnerable.

On the whole though I think that once people have served their sentences they should have their slate wiped clean to enable them to integrate better into society, as unemployment isn't going to help them become useful members of the community.

[Pete1956]

The passage of time must be a major factor. Many people have skeletons in their cupboard (not literally hopefully) and the longer in the past that they are, the less likelihood there is of them rearing up and causing problems and the greater the likelihood that the person has drawn a line under that behaviour.

I have a petty criminal conviction from when I was a teenager in a small town, and the appearance of details in the local newspaper and the damage it caused to my reputation hurt me much more than the punishment handed down by the magistrate.