Jail is a correctional institution used to detain either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence. The noun, correctional institution, has become somewhat of a misnomer in today's society. Actually, the definition of a correctional institution is as follows: A penal institution maintained by the government. The adjective, penal, relates to punishment or is designed to impose punishment.

Please understand that, I am not trying to give anyone reading along an English lesson. However to answer the question, Does Jail Accomplish Anything?, we must understand the true purpose of our jails. The purpose of a jail is simply to punish, through incarceration, those who break society's laws. It has never been a jail's purpose to rehabilitate or educate society's criminals.

The facts are that throughout the history of mankind there have always been criminals. It is not the fault of government that these individuals turn to crime rather than educating themselves or becoming employed. I understand that arguments can be made on behalf of these criminals. Maybe they were so poor or were raised in conditions that made it impossible for them to get an education or find employment. So naturally they had no choice but to break the law to survive. Therefore our penal system not only has to house and feed these individuals but also rehabilitate and educate them?

This is absolutely absurd! We live in the land of opportunity. If an American wants assistance in order to obtain an education or start a business all they have to do is ask. I am not saying it is easy but there is money available through grants. All an individual has to do, is work for it. These criminals make their own choices. They are not victims of their circumstances. They are inherently lazy. Generally speaking, they are individuals looking for the quick and easy route. This of course, is my opinion. And not everyone will agree with these statements.

However, a society must have laws. Everyone knows what these laws are and should abide by them. If an individual breaks these laws, they should be punished accordingly. Our jails accomplish this. They detain criminals as punishment for their crimes. Jail is not meant to be enjoyable. It is a place of punishment, not a place of rehabilitation or education. We have mental institutions and colleges that specialize in these areas of expertise. Jails specialize in punishment, and they are good at it. Do not believe me? Try staying in one for a week.