The primary purpose of the prison system in the United States is punishment, incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation. In the United States people are imprisoned every day. The U.S. prison system imprisons more citizens for more crimes and for longer periods of time than any other country. As stated in the Philosophy speech “At the beginning of 2008, nearly two and a half million people were in prison in the United States. That's one in a hundred adults. China, with a population about four times ours, had a prison population of about one and a half million in the same period.” I firmly believe that the primary purpose of the prison system should be to safely incarcerate criminals until such time as they can be rehabilitated and become productive, law-abiding citizens of society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The reason I chose this topic is because I was interested in whether it is right to punish people for their crimes, whether to choose our own doing, or is it really for justice. Is there a better way to deal with these types of situations? I find the prison system to be morally correct because it provides all the lessons a man needs to know to function in society. For example, as stated in the case where punishment fails, rehabilitation work “Generations of research have shown that the more severely children are punished, the more violent they become, both as children and as adults. The same goes for adults, especially those in prison. So the only rational purpose of a prison is to prevent those who are violent from inflicting harm on themselves or others, while we help them change their behavior from that pattern to a nonviolent and even constructive one, so that they can return to normal. community". This quote is a good example of why people become the way they are, whether it is kind or violent. Coming out of prison is like starting a new life. The United States is a violent country. This can be said of other continents. Prisons in the United States are overflowing with people. Violence is rampant in the cities. With so many people to answer, it is not a certainty that criminals in the prison system will become law-abiding citizens of this country preparation for running a prison. As States in Philosophy says: “States spent nearly fifty billion dollars on incarceration in 2007. That's an increase from ten billion in 1987 – accounting for inflation, that's a 127% increase.” This quote explains the unnecessary amount of money we spend in prison that could be used to do something else. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the prison system works for everyone. When criminals leave the system it is difficult for them to find work. Some criminals return to the state they were in before prison due to a lack of support and money. In other cases some criminals have serious mental health problems. This makes it more difficult for them to adapt to mainstream society and culture. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, I find that the prison system is not perfect, but it can help rehabilitated criminals become better citizens. The prison system is intended to help criminals who have mental problems or problems with their behavior. These criminals are people too. They have families of their own. Just for.