Is Punishment Ethical? The Fallacy of Good and Evil

If we don’t ask the right questions, we don’t find the right answers.

At some point, the foundations on which society is built must be questioned. The answers will either affirm or overturn prior assumptions. When we begin exploring the origins of our criminal justice system to determine “Is Punishmetn Ethical?” we see the system from a new perspective. Our criminal justice system uses a structure that was created during a superstitious era–The Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages superstitious ruled because real scientific inquiry had not begun.

Our current criminal justice system is based on beliefs that some people are good and others are evil–perhaps from birth.

Scientific inquiry points to a completely different conclusion.

If we begin addressing undesired behaviors (in children and adults) from a scientific perspective, the way we handle them will change dramitically.
If we begin addressing prevention from a scientific perspective, we should be able to empty most jails and prisons in one generation because crimes will not be committed as often.

There is a great deal of talk about criminal justice reform today, but all of it leaves the system intact, including the flaws that date back to the superstitious era when the system was created.

We don’t need reform, we need to transform the system.

The vast majority of criminals suffer from one or more mental healthy problems that are both predictable and preventable with what we now know.

Is Punishment Ethical?, Jeanine Joy looks at the current criminal justice system, parenting, and education through the lens of science as it pertains to what makes humans thrive and discovers the answer. The answer points to ways to significantly reduce crime that is affordable.

We have the answers we need today.

We can make life better for many people today by applying the processes suggested in this book.

Waiting will extend the suffering.

If not now, when? It is time to transform the Criminal Justice System.