So... My little brother is going to prison.

[Moromillas]

I've seen people get off scot free for far greater bullshit... Why? Money. Wanna know why it seems entirely about punishment instead of rehabilitation. Yep, it's money again.

Even more proof there's no such thing as justice.

 

[surg3n]

Prisons in the UK are so overcrowded, that if someone was to do the same, steal from a house for example, even with previous convictions - there is very little chance that they'd go to jail. The jail is for sex offenders and murderers these days - completely because of overcrowding we have ended up with a more positive correctional system.

Your brother would probably spend a few weeks making bird boxes, or clearing trash, community service they call it. It seems quite different in the US, 3 strike rule and all that seems real harsh compared to how lenient the UK has become.

IMO though..... I'd say prison might be the best thing to happen to him, a reality check. All you can do is try and support him, try and make his life a little more bearable, send magazines, books etc - positive influences can make all the difference. If you do that, then no doubt you'll form a stronger bond with your brother - and that might be enough to keep him straight, you never know.

 

[Zeema]

look at this way maybe getting the brute force of prison may scare him straight

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

...3-5 years is a quarter of his lifetime? You mean of his current life?

Let's also remember that it also sounds like he's serving for a non-violent crime likely in relatively low security. Assuming he does well, that sentence could end up being substantially shorter.

That said, the American prison system (well, almost all prison systems) is pretty horrendous, so you have my condolences. The most you can really do is help out when you can, keep in contact as much as possible, and help him prepare for a better life when he gets out. If you can get across the message to him that he's stuck and may as well make the best of it without sounding preachy and condescending, that helps immensely. When it comes down to it, he can kick and scream and make things worse or he can deal with the situation he's been put in. It's a sobering, unpleasant realisation, but a very useful one.

Also, the whole "prison might scare him straight" thing is ridiculously unlikely. If anything helps him, it will be contact with sympathetic individuals, reduced access to drugs (assuming that problem is still a problem), and the realisation that he has nothing better to do for 3-5 years than figure out how to get his life back on track.

 

[Jimmybobjr]

Did he break the law?
Yes.

So, therefore, he needs to serve his punsishment.

Theres no "But".

He knew he was breaking the law, he knew that he would get punished, and he knew that that would likely be the result.

And, if after knowing all that, He still commited the crime, he deserves to be punished.

The rule of law is in place for two things; to deter and to punish. It didnt deter, so he must be punished.

 

[Sennz0r]

3-5 seems like something the United States would sentence a thief for. Especially when it involved breaking and entering.
For you this isn't a matter of whether it's a just punishment for someone who broke into another person's home, it's about you thinking your brother in particular doesn't deserve such harsh punishment according to you. Which is completely logical and I understand that you feel this way.
I also believe, though, that your brother might benefit from this. His problem has led him down a path that caused him to steal from other people. It's no longer just a drug problem now, and drug rehab does not rehabilitate criminals. Let's hope this is a wake up call for your brother. The prospect of spending 5 years in prison might make him see the error of his ways quick, and then he might get out on parole far sooner.

 

[monkey jesus]

You can't personalise it, if someone you didn't know had robbed your house for drug money would you want them to go to jail or go into rehab?

 

[Torrasque]

A decade?
You just said he'd be facing 3-5 years...
And considering American prisons, he'll probably get out in half that time if he's a good boy.
It seems to me that the time for someone to sit him down and straighten him out has passed, and now he has to face the music.
Don't get me wrong, I think prisons are nothing more than a place to put criminals, and that the "rehabilitation" part of prison is a joke.
But at this time, the only thing you can do is be there for him and do your job as an older brother: tell him what a stupid dumbass he's been, and that he can do better than this or you'll kick his ass

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

Bad person? Of course. Unable to be changed? No way. I'm not going to say he's a good kid, because he isn't. But he isn't beyond being helped... I just wish people were more flexible, people like him don't need to spent a decade in prison. They need to be monitored for drug consumption. I'm fairly confident if he was able to kick his habits, he'd be able to be a respectable citizen.

I'm not entirely sure on the technical legal stuff, but I believe his sentence could be shortened for good behaviour, attending in-prison rehab, etc. It depends on the state/institution as well. You should read up on this stuff and see if there's any advice you can give him. It might help, and will at least make you feel like you've done something.

 

[Aprilgold]

Spoiler

I think its a fair sentence for the charge, but it won't help him at all, and he'll probably become a hard core crook because he went to a jail for that time, usually people IN jail go BACK to jail because they are told their the worst people alive for whatever they have done, either it being robbery or serial raping and murder, theres never any middle ground in it because your always looked upon as satan by everyone in the joint, even by other inmates, its not helping people, its hardening them into criminals, sorta like what juvie does to kids but on a larger scale. Seriously, its times like these I fucking hate the fact that prison can't be more of a rehab instead of a holding place for criminals, most criminals usually do it because of bullying, mental illness or being beaten or punished in some way and suppressing it. Also doesn't help that our system is run by people who think criminals are always crooks, but thats never the case.

Look, above is a large amount of my OWN opinion of jails and what not, so its been spoiler tagged for your reading convince.

To shorten things, move over there before he is released and help him throughout a year or two of his life, teaching him morals and what not.

To shorten the top spoiler down to what I think in a simple way, justice is nice, but jails becoming rehabilitation centers would also be great, usually cause of one reason, all jails do is hold people, no matter what they did, they are looked down upon anyways, so that being rehabilitating is like being shot in the legs to be relaxing.

 

[Vrach]

I live half way across the country and recently got a call from him in jail. My little brother (19 years old) is facing a 3-5 prison sentence. I know he deserves some jail time, but I think a quarter of his lifetime is a bit much. Sure the kid is a fuck-up, but shouldn't someone so young get some sort of rehabilitation option? As far as American prisons go, I think this will only make him worse off than he was before.

Does anyone with experience with family members going to prison have a decent opinion? I know I'm probably wrong, thinking this way... But this is my little fucking brother. I can't stand the idea that he's going to prison for so long. It crushes me.

Edit : Since most people don't understand the case (Which is completely understandable.)

My little brother has had some issues with drugs. His specific crime was stealing from someone's home (in a non-violent way.)

Bad person? Of course. Unable to be changed? No way. I'm not going to say he's a good kid, because he isn't. But he isn't beyond being helped... I just wish people were more flexible, people like him don't need to spent a decade in prison. They need to be monitored for drug consumption. I'm fairly confident if he was able to kick his habits, he'd be able to be a respectable citizen.

All due respect, but if you think he could be helped, what the hell were you and your family doing for the past x years where he was being and becoming the person that ended up in jail? I'm not saying it's your fault (not nearly my point, really), but I just mean, if you think he can be helped, why do you think some rehab or whatever is gonna help him more than you ever could and can still?

Anyway, 3-5 years is a bit harsh sure, but he should be able to get on parole with good behaviour. You might want to go over there and help him through it if you can.

As for your topic itself, I think prison itself is complete and ineffective bullshit, but that's really more of a philosophical and sociological point we can discuss than a pragmatic one involving your little bro. As far as your situation goes, as I've said above, go there if you can and try to help him through it and get his life back on track.

Unless his family are professional social workers, you can't blame them for not being able to help him. In fact, even social workers would have a very hard time to correct their own child. Rehabilitation requires patience, experience, a lot of empathy and a good objective overview. These traits are rare and thus should be left to experts.

You really think a social worker can help where a family can't? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the family should do it alone and without any help, but if anyone can get through to a troubled kid, it's far more likely to be an older brother than some social worker, simply because the kid himself will respond better to his brother, both as family and someone closer to his age. Again, I'm not saying do it alone, but they need to be the ones to get him on that path to get better, a social worker approaching him randomly won't do much good imo.

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

3-5 is actually a pretty reasonable sentence for entering someone else's private property and stealing one's possessions for drug money.

I say a more reasonable penalty might be to make him work for the people he stole from (at no pay, of course) till he works the equivalent for the amount required to pay off everything... with interest.

 

[Valdus]

3-5 years for a first-time offense theft? I think we're not getting the whole story here.

Besides, yes it sucks that your loved one is going to jail, but what about his victims? They didn't ask for his stuff to be stolen and the sad truth is that if something isn't done he'll keep stealing (especially if it's for drugs). And well....quite frankly if he's getting involved with drugs to the point that he steals to feed his habit then quite frankly he's getting off lightly. There are plenty of others in a similer situation who get off far worse - not by getting caught by the police, but by causing some kind of problem for the drug dealers.

 

[Spineyguy]

When dealing with the law it is a fool who tries to impose family bias. I'm not going to say 'he doesn't deserve this', nor am I going to say 'we should bring back the death penalty' (I live in Britain, the death penalty is culturally relative, so my opinion does apply.) I think that if he is young and impressionable enough (which at 19 he really ought to be), then the crappy life he has in prison might just set him straight.

In UK prisons we have a wide range of rehabilitation schemes for young offenders (and indeed for adult ones as well). We may impose a token economy system, where inmates are rewarded with points for good behaviour, which can then be spent on privileges like sweets or TV-time. In some cases, prisoners may receive Social Skills Training, which is designed to help them learn to solve problems in more practical, non-violent, non-criminal ways. Prisoners on an SST scheme will learn to share with others, to give and receive compliments, to play sports fairly and to work as a team, all of which can prove invaluable once on the outside again.

Both Token Economy Programmes and SSTs have been proven by many studies to drastically reduce recidivism rates, especially among young offenders. Whether or not these run in the US I think is probably dependant on what state you are in and how charitable the prison staff feel.

Also I believe 3-5 years is perfectly reasonable, your bro may have been under the influence of something, or coerced into crime by others, but he still made his choice, and it is no-one's responsibility but his. I guarantee that more than half of the inmates in that prison were given 'more than they deserved', this whole thing is entirely subjective.

 

[baker80]

And people say the police never do anything useful. Good job.

And btw, breaking into houses and stealing stuff is its own special form of violence. Ask anyone who has had it happened and it does leave them violated. Often they have to move. It's horrible.

No joke. Somebody who has never had their home robbed can't really appreciate how true this is. Your home is the one place in the world where you should feel perfectly safe. There are laws in place just to make sure that this is as true as humanly possible. Being robbed makes you feel exposed. You won't feel safe in your own home for months or years, maybe never again. It definitely is an enormous violation of their most intimate space for many people.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

To my understanding, under 18s for the majority of crimes are tried as minors. As such, on the basis that they weren't mature enough to fully understand the consequences of their actions they get proportionately shorter sentences, stay with other youngsters and the aim is to rehabilitate so they emerge as functioning adults.

I believe it's the case that over 18, as a legal adult someone would be sentenced as an adult where had they been a year younger the sentence would've been significantly less. I cannot pretend to know enough of your brother, his circumstances, the crime or the court case but assuming it was reasonably fair, presumably the judge had sufficient evidence/precedents to pass a sentence proportional (or required by) the crime. Although he is your younger brother, he's legally an adult and thus responsible for his actions.

I absolutely feel for the OP, you have my sincere sympathies. I have a little brother too and it doesn't matter how much they annoy the hell out of you they're still your little brother. I can only hope he's not left with the real hard-case criminals to have a reasonable time of it while serving his sentence and perhaps if he responds well and is sincere in wanting to turn his life around (if anything being without drugs for that long will almost have to cure any addiction) he may be released earlier. Wish the OP and his family all the best during a hard time.

 

[Pat8u]

You can't personalise it, if someone you didn't know had robbed your house for drug money would you want them to go to jail or go into rehab?

I think there was a story about an old lady who got robbed and she pleaded with the judge to send him to rehab and the guy did get sent there

OT: Prisons are wrong in my opnion they just make people worse