Equal Justice?

[The Mad Monk]

It isn't?



How many years have you served?

[Provost Harrison]

That is a hellishly severe sentence. Incarceration should be about rehabilitation, and yes, punishment where applicable. But this seems to be more about revenge by the state. I mean, 19 years is one hell of a long time...

[DinoDoc]

For manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident? What would you given him? An hour in the corner?

[Drogue]

What purpose does 19 years serve? Will he be rehabilitated more in 19 years than in 5? What does anyone gain by keeping him in that long?

[DinoDoc]

What purpose would 5 years serve? Would he be any more rehabilitated in 5 years than 5 months? What would anyone gain by keeping him in that long?

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
For manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident? What would you given him? An hour in the corner?

Can you reform someone who did not commit a malevolent act in the first place? To incarcerate someone under those circumstances is pure revenge, yes?

[Wezil]

We don't know the aggravating factors.

[Provost Harrison]

No, we don't. But nor does DinoDoc. So the point still stands...

[Wezil]

If this person has a history of DUI and/or crashing their car and taking off....19 years sounds reasonable.

A first time offender that got scared/confused and left the scene only to return later would probably merit considerably less.

Both deserve punishment.

I suspect this driver was in the first category.

[Drogue]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
What purpose would 5 years serve? Would he be any more rehabilitated in 5 years than 5 months? What would anyone gain by keeping him in that long?

Well, in his case, I'd argue not. In many cases, yes, 5 years allows you to use rehabilitation methods that 5 months wouldn't, like education.

But yes, I favour 2 lengths of prison - life, for people who need to be kept seperate from society due to being a danger to society and short periods to act as a deterrent. Rehabilitation can occur and if it does, then those life people need to be let out, but there needs to be strict controls on this.

[Aeson]

Rehabilitation is very unlikely in the US prison system. Dehabilitation is generally more what it's set up for.

[Dauphin]

All prison sentences should be replaced with fixed penalty notices commensurate with the crime commited, except crimes of debt for which a debtors' prisons will be resurrected (if you can't pay your fixed penalty notice you go to jail as a debtor). The wealthy should not be forced to go to prison with the poor, and the fines will pay for social programmes for victims.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Aeson
Of course it's their age.

Though that's even more silly. Being born a few months (or even days hypothetically) earlier/later can mean the difference between a few years in juvy, or the rest of your life in the state pen.

Obviously they didn't understand the ramifications of what they were doing. They were just innocent children who don't understand the concept of "death" or "murder". Sweet innocent children. Those kind of advanced notions of the consequences of repeatedly jabbing a sharp object into someone's flesh only occur on one's 18th birthday.

Remarkably the ability to understand politics, foreign policy, healthcare, and the environment (among other things) occurs exactly on one's 18th birthday as well. Truly a remarkable day in one's life.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Drogue
What purpose does 19 years serve? Will he be rehabilitated more in 19 years than in 5? What does anyone gain by keeping him in that long?

He ended a human life. You think he should serve less than a decade?

[Drogue]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
He ended a human life. You think he should serve less than a decade?

I didn't put any personal value judgement there, I simply asked what would be served by making him serve 19 years as opposed to, for example, 5-10? Because I can't think of anything positive that would come from that. Serving longer is justified if it's of benefit.

And as for ending a human life, I consider intent the main point here. A doctor who accidentally administers the wrong drug, or even just kills a patient during surgery, has hardly committed a crime. Should everyone who ends a human life serve a long prison sentance?