R: In the United States, misdemeanor jail time ought to be replaced with significant rehabilitation.

Good luck to my opponent in this round, and for the remainder of this tournament. Now, let's get to this debate! I affirm, Resolved: In the United States, misdemeanor jail time ought to be replaced with significant rehabilitation. I. Value- Societal Welfare ---My value corresponds to the utmost valuable thing of society, the welfare of it. In other words, my value looks to how well of society is, the more well off we are, the more value we achieve. This value must be the focus of this debate, particularly when the debate is focused on the very thing that puts our societal welfare at risk... criminals. Within this debate, I will show how rehabilitation helps society for misdemeanor crimes MORE than jail time. Thus, my resolutional analysis is simple: Whoever gains the most net-beneficial societal welfare will be more valuable and ought to be victorious within this debate. II. Criterion- Integration ---If I can show that integrating these criminals back into society will benefit the welfare, you will find that the pro side must therefore win. Throughout my case, I will show how jail time fails to integrate, and thus loses societal welfare, but moreover, I will show how rehabilitation will be not only more successful, but will help even non-criminals' societal welfare. Finally, I will show that just the attempt at integration is what we OUGHT to do, thus upholding the value even without success. III. The Pro side (re)integrates the criminals back into society and thus gains societal welfare. A. Recidivism rate is at an all time high. -From: http://www.ojp.gov... ---"In a 15 State study, over two-thirds of released prisoners were rearrested within three years" ---This just goes to show how we have a serious problem that needs to be fixed. Obviously the jail time isn't doing any good. We ought to do something to prevent this. B. Rehabilitation gives a better chance for criminals to be re-integrated back into society. -From: http://beehive.govt.nz... ---"What this package does is fund a number of initiatives aimed at reducing re-offending rates by expanding rehabilitation and reintegration services. Rehabilitation addresses the underlying causes of offenders' criminal behaviour. Re-integration helps prisoners settle back into the community after their release. These services work hand-in-hand to make the community safer." ---This is exactly what we ought to do. Our goals should be aimed at helping the criminal, and therefore, help our society. And as this evidence points out, it does, and will work. The furthers the reason why we ought to do it and it shows how simply having jail time will be ineffective as far as societal welfare and integration goes. IV. Rehabilitation provides more jobs. ---In this economic situation, it is necessary that we provide more jobs. This rehabilitation will increase counseling jobs. This increases the societal welfare as well. Now, you may ask yourself, don't you take away security jobs. However, this is not true, this is because there is still need for a holding facility for people such as drunks that need to stay over-night. Not to mention, we could use them on the streets as policemen anyway. V. The goal of misdemeanor punishment ought to be integration. ---When we put a felon in jail, it is generally because he is not safe in the community. The goal of that is to keep them off the streets respectively. However, you ought not apply this same concept to misdemeanor crimes because they are not a major threat to our society, rather, they have been misguided. It therefore makes sense that we integrate them back into society, which ought to be the goal of misdemeanor punishment. Will it always be successful? Well, probably not. But just the attempt at it shows that we care about A) The victim and B) The society. Throwing them in a cell doesn't show we care, helping them through their assumable tough life does. -In the end, societal welfare MUST be the ultimate goal. And since jail time fails, we ought to replace this for rehab which will effectively integrate these criminals back into society. Not to mention that more jobs will be created. All of this just goes to show that, In the United States, misdemeanor jail time ought to be replaced with significant rehabilitation. I therefore urge you to vote pro! I now stand ready for my opponent's case and refutation!