this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2024
24 points (92.9% liked)

Star Trek

10608 readers
126 users here now

r/startrek: The Next Generation

Star Trek news and discussion. No slash fic...

Maybe a little slash fic.


New to Star Trek and wondering where to start?


Rules

1 Be constructiveAll posts/comments must be thoughtful and balanced.


2 Be welcomingIt is important that everyone from newbies to OG Trekkers feel welcome, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, religion or race.


3 Be truthfulAll posts/comments must be factually accurate and verifiable. We are not a place for gossip, rumors, or manipulative or misleading content.


4 Be niceIf a polite way cannot be found to phrase what it is you want to say, don't say anything at all. Insulting or disparaging remarks about any human being are expressly not allowed.


5 SpoilersUtilize the spoiler system for any and all spoilers relating to the most recently-aired episodes, as well as previews for upcoming episodes. There is no formal spoiler protection for episodes/films after they have been available for approximately one week.


6 Keep on-topicAll submissions must be directly about the Star Trek franchise (the shows, movies, books etc.). Off-topic discussions are welcome at c/quarks.


7 MetaQuestions and concerns about moderator actions should be brought forward via DM.


Upcoming Episodes

Date Episode Title
11-21 LD 5x06 "Of Gods and Angles"
11-28 LD 5x07 "Fully Dilated"
12-05 LD 5x08 "Upper Decks"
12-12 LD 5x09 "Fissue Quest"
12-19 LD 5x10 "The New Next Generation"

Episode Discussion Archive


In Production

Strange New Worlds (2025)

Section 31 (2025-01-24)

Starfleet Academy (TBA)

In Development

Untitled comedy series


Wondering where to stream a series? Check here.


Allied Discord Server


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I'm curious about rehabilitation. I believe crime comes from access to resources and/or from a lack of emotional education (such as empathy, patience, and sympathy).

When I hear news stories of horrific crimes, I often start to wonder: what would have prevented it and how can we move on from it?

I don't believe in the death penalty and I don't believe in forced labor. I do believe "confinement" paired with education, food, comfort, and time to reflect is part of rehabilitation.

What does it look like in Star Trek? In other words, what does western culture see as the "epitome" of a rehabilitation center?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] USSBurritoTruck@startrek.website 12 points 9 months ago (2 children)

From the opening log of "Whom Gods Destroy":

Captain's Log, stardate 5718.3. The Enterprise is orbiting Elba Two, a planet with a poisonous atmosphere where the Federation maintains an asylum for the few remaining incorrigible criminally insane of the galaxy. We are bringing a revolutionary new medicine to them, a medicine with which the Federation hopes to eliminate mental illness for all time. I am transporting down with Mister Spock, and we're delivering the medicine to Doctor Donald Cory, the governor of the colony.

So, at least this one TOS episode indicates that there is only one small facility which the Federation uses to house all the remaining criminally insane people in the galaxy. I think we can assume that by the galaxy, Kirk actually means the Federation. But as of that era, there apparently exists a medication that they believe will cure people of mental illness.

How much stock we want to put in one third season TOS episode I think can be debated -- and crucially we never get any confirmation as to the long term success of the medication -- but it is part of the canon.

There is also the Tantalus V penal colony from "Dagger of the Mind". Before they beam down, Kirk tells McCoy that it's more like a resort colony than a cage, though the doctor who ran the facility was using a machine to essentially brainwash both inmates and staff.

As for incarceration and rehabilitation in the 24th century, we know Tom Paris was at the New Zealand Penal Settlement when Janeway sprung him, with the approval of the Rehab Commission. When we see the settlement, the prisoners appear to be doing some sort of labour: one is carrying something, and Paris appears to be calibrating some sort of machinery. Granted, we don't know exactly what he was doing or why. Maybe he was working on a project he volunteered for or even conceived himself, and was given access to the resources to carry it out.

Ro Laren was on the Jaros II penal colony after her court martial. She was sprung from that by Admiral Kennelly, and he claims it was difficult to do so.

Kasidy Yates was incarcerated for six months for aiding the Maquis, though there's never any indication that the sentence isn't purely punitive.

In "Blaze of Glory" we saw that after his capture in "For the Uniform", Michael Eddington was being held aboard a station in a fairly small cell. He was still wearing civilian clothes. It's possible he hadn't yet been formally tried and convicted, though.

[–] SatanicNotMessianic@lemmy.ml 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Did you leave Kahn and his followers out on purpose? They basically got transported. Maybe it’s an edge case, but I would consider being exiled to a planet and not being allowed to leave as a kind of incarnation.

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 5 points 9 months ago

Kahn's group was exiled pre-Federation, so they're probably outside the scope of OP's question.

I was also thinking of “Dagger of the Mind.” When Kirk tries to reassure McCoy that the colony is more like a resort, he replies “A cage is a cage, Jim.” Always thought that was interesting, indicating McCoy is essentially a prison abolitionist, though not indicating that that is the dominant view that has won out in the federation.