Small Crimes, Small Punishments

Our prisons are chock full of criminals, and we're busily raising the next generation of criminals. In public schools, teachers are not permitted to physically discipline students. I believe that is the source of so many problems in our society. When a child misbehaves, that child should be physically disciplined. A spanking. A smack on the back of the hand. A firm grip on the shoulder and a steely look in the eye, warning the child not to transgress again.

This can obviously be taken too far, and it can become abusive towards children. That is clearly something to be limited. But we're currently at the other end of the spectrum, where children have an implicit association between getting in trouble and being either talked to death with yet another lecture or bored to death with another simpleminded punishment. These types of feedback for improper behavior work for some large percentage of children, but they don't work for some additional percentage. And those kids are the ones that need to be reminded, physically, that some behaviors are inappropriate.

Talking back to a teacher is serious stuff, and should be treated as such. That child should either be removed from the classroom or physically disciplined on the spot in some appropriate way. But in the spirit of "small crimes, small punishments", students shouldn't even be getting to the point of talking back to a teacher. When a child doesn't follow reasonable instructions in a reasonable way, there should be instant feedback for that child's behavior. If a child doesn't sit, the teacher can make the child sit. Not by talking him or her to death, but by placing a strong hand on the child's shoulder and making him or her sit.

This concept goes beyond school. It applies to all levels of our society. If a teenager commits a small crime, have them get some physical feedback. If a teen steals a car, tazer 'em. Twice, if need be. Public canings sound like a good way to get a message across to a young adult mind that our society will not tolerate vandalism and other petty crimes.

Public canings may sound medieval and cruel, but I suggest that it is far more cruel to permit young minds to develop with the notion that disrespecting or even violating the rule of law is perfectly reasonable. Such minds are forever handicapped by fundamental beliefs that will impair their ability to function effectively in society.

I'd even apply this to adults. What if driving faster than the speed limit resulted in being tazered instead of paying a small fine? It would wipe out a revenue stream for local governments, but it would also result in quick and simple justice that people would be really sure not to fall into.

The ideal is to have the punishment be applied instantly, as well. Drive too fast in your car, and a special unit arrives immediately that includes a judge and a medical team to apply the punishment right then, right there. Punish someone days or weeks after they commit a crime and the association between crime and punishment is lost. Punish someone in the very instant that they are commiting the crime and their brain will very clearly establish the association between the two events. That simple association is what's needed, and it's why I begin with school-age children.

Ultimately, we have a ponderous system for dealing with criminals and, as a result, we can only go after the most serious crimes. That's a lot like trying to put out too many forest fires with too few fire fighters. Put people on extinguishing fires as soon as they spark and there's much less of a need for putting out the big blazes.