What if you knew that if you drove drunk you should wear a sign around your neck saying you did? If you attacked someone, how would you feel if you had to publicly apologize? Would you be ready to commit a crime? That's what Texas Judge Ted Poe does in his county. I believe public shaming is effective, but only in some cases. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayWhat is public shaming? When a person has been convicted of a crime, he or she has the choice of going to prison or being publicly humiliated. An example of one of the methods Poe used was when a man beat his wife. Poe was frustrated to see that the wife was terribly embarrassed but the man was not. Poe sentenced this man to prison and to publicly apologize to his wife. Poe later commented, "He was humiliated and didn't like it at all." Another example of public shaming was thieves being forced to wear a sign outside the store they robbed stating that they robbed the store. What are the benefits of public shaming? Well, Judge Poe says that of the 59 shameful sentences he handed down, only two of these criminals ended up back in prison. One store owner commented that since Poe had ordered the thief to stay out of his store, thefts had decreased. Mothers brought their children to look at him as an example of what would happen if they committed crimes. Furthermore, if public shaming were used, taxes could even be reduced. If people don't go to prison, if people don't come back time after time, we don't have to pay jails and prisons to hold them. However, when there are positives, there are also disadvantages. In some cases, shame can be more harmful than helpful to rehabilitation if taken too far. In Illinois, a sign was posted on the lawn of a battery offender that read “Warning! A violent criminal lives here! Enter at your own risk!” I think this is going too far. It almost seems like he was designed to be a monster, not a human who made mistakes. Another reason why public shaming can be bad is because it can trigger violence in anyone. The thought process is, “If the government can do it, I can do it,” or “If the government is doing it, it must be right.” One community sent flyers to everyone about a sex offender informing them of his whereabouts. Within hours the perpetrator's house was set on fire, his grandmother's house was egged, and other members of his family received death threats. This is wrong, wrong, wrong! This begs the question: Would this have happened without the flyers? Would people have done this on any other normal day? Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Some say that public shaming makes the offender feel guilty and not do it again. Others say public shaming should be compared to what Mao and the Nazis did. When public shaming is used in moderation, it can be very effective.