this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2023
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No Stupid Questions
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A criminal is someone who has committed a crime. Using criminal as a blanket term to refer to all inmates assumes that 100% of them are guilty, which is demonstrably false.
This is a bit of chicken and egg, but if you've committed a crime, you are a criminal. If you've been accused of a crime, you are not a criminal, until you are proven to be guilty.
If youve been convicted, you've been found guilty. If you've been found guilty, that means you've committed a crime, and are a criminal.
In order to be an inmate (barring those await trials in jails) you must be a criminal.
Your concern, I think, is stemmed from the unfortunate stigma that follows criminals long after their rehabilitation/incarceration, which is a valid stance. However, if someone is currently in a prison, as an inmate, they must be a criminal in the eyes of the law. That doesn't mean they are criminals from then until the end of time, however.
Your logic train derailed at "if you were found guilty, you commited the crime" have you not watched how many people they release with DNA evidence overturn or witness recanting, and say Oops, guess it wasn't you.
If you were found guilty by the courts, then yes in the eyes of the courts you have a committed the crime. If and when there are appeals, new evidence, or overturned verdicts, then that evaluation would change.
The whole point ends up being that criminal as a word has a specific definition, and those who have been convicted of crimes fit that definition.