I spent today talking to Dr. Markham and presenting all of my research to him. We had an amazing conversation about what factors we should consider when deciding how harsh of a sentence we should give to certain DUI perpetrators. We were able to organize the resulting philosophical mindsets into two paths: trying to send a harsh message or truly searching for rehabilitation. Of course, there’s pros and cons to both. Jail time is the main vehicle to try and send a message that we won’t tolerate DUIs, but focusing on community service and rehab seems to be the best for true long term rehabilitation.
The most interesting thing I learned was that judges are actually extremely hesitant to send younger people to jail. I wasn’t surprised by that, but what shocked me was the reason why. Pretty much, there’s a media stigmatization around prison that makes it seem like the scariest place on earth. But ironically, once somebody’s been to prison they actually see that, although it’s no walk in the park, it’s definitely survivable. It’s been proven that someone who’s been to prison is more likely to go on to commit crimes, partly because they feel like there’s no real consequences.
I really enjoyed discussing how philosophy and law are intertwined. Starting Tuesday I’ll be researching how other states sentence DUIs compared to North Carolina.