I have a problem with this poll as it is unclear. Is it "what should prisons be used to accomplish" or is it "what does the prison system try and do". If it is the first one, we should try for rehabilitation. If it is the second, it (the system) tries for retribution, wealth extraction and class stratification.

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I voted with the understanding of what it is actually IS vs. what it SHOULD be. But I assume people will have differing takes based on the use of the word "goal/purpose" interpretations. Perhaps there should be a followup about what the goal should be or goal currently is, depending on how the majority are interpreting the question (i.e. do the opposite next time).

I agree and why I didn't vote.

Same here, didn't vote because its poorly worded. I also think it should be rehabilitation first, and deterrence second, incapacitation third. However, in rare cases I believe that there are some crimes that may be too heinous that retribution is warranted.

I agree and voted for current status, not how it should be.

Rehabilition, ideally. If they're rehabilitated, come outside and join the rest of us,.

If they aren't, then I hope the goal (hope what will eventually happen) of their time in jail is to keep them from the rest of us until the day they die. Whether that's out of old age, getting shanked, or bleeding out from an anal rape, I really couldn't care less (I just don't believe in the death-penalty)

Rehab or die.

I never really understood the widespread acceptance of prison rape
Clyde Barrow famously went into jail on a small time offence and was raped a bunch of times there and came out and wasted no time before killing a dozen people.
and that was a hundred years ago

not much rehab when that's happening

"is" or "should be"?

Sorry, maybe I should clarify slightly. I believe sometimes people deserve to face retribution--if someone tortures and murders your entire family, I would like cops to look the other way when you torture the perpetrator to death in return.

I don't believe courts should ever be a tool to dish out such retribution. That just leads to innumerable slippery slope arguments.