4 ms·

So I'm curious, then, about how you understand, say, life sentences? Aren't those effectively "death sentences" where men or women are effective paid to live th

So I'm curious, then, about how you understand, say, life sentences? Aren't those effectively "death sentences" where men or women are effective paid to live the rest of their lives inside of the prison system—but with no chance to ever rejoin society? They know what exists outside but are doomed to live perhaps 30-60 years in prison cut off from family? Personally, I think we'd be better off getting rid of life sentences.

VLM 10y ago
"rejoin society" Only slightly derailing the conversation to point out that at current numbers and extrapolating some trends pretty soon the majority experience for some subgroups will be to have served some time in prison. At that point where society = ex con for some small enough local value of society, I don't think doing time like everyone else is going to involve any problem rejoining society, when everyone in your society did time. I mean, sure the odds of going to Stanford just dropped from 0.0001% to 0% which is very exciting for the theoretical 0.0001% person, but what kind of cultural influence can that possibly be for everyone else on either side given those numbers?
- nvahalik 10y ago
  Perhaps you misunderstood my comment. I meant that why do we pay for people to spend the rest of their natural lives in prison with no chance to live a "normal"—go to school, have a career, start a family, provide for themselves—life?