4 ms·

>>It's very common for judges to pass a community services punishment or an electronic ankle bracelet house arrest.<< But that's a good thing unless you consid

by xxs 10y ago

>>It's very common for judges to pass a community services punishment or an electronic ankle bracelet house arrest.<< But that's a good thing unless you consider sending people to the mines and keep them locked behind bars for years a better alternative.

pc86 10y ago
In the US at least, community service is typically only an option if: - It's your first offense - You more-or-less admit to the crime (not necessarily meaning you turned yourself in, but you didn't go through a trial while maintaining your innocence the whole time) - You are clearly remorseful - The crime is minor and non-violent - The odds are seen as low or very low that you'd do it again There are exceptions of course, but if you commit armed robbery, I don't think many people would feel community service is a just sentence. Nor would shoplifting if it's the 5th time you've been caught.
- xxs 10y ago
  >> if you commit armed robbery... There are significantly less guns available compared to the US, so armed robberies are likely heavily punished too. While I don't say all sentences should be light as a feather, there are a lot of 'jails' (especially in Norway) where the inmates can go home for the evening or weekend.
  - jimmywanger 10y ago
    Armed does not imply gun. It implies weapon of any sort. I'm not even sure if just the implied threat of a weapon elevates it to armed robbery. But if you threaten somebody with a knife or club, I think you still get charged with armed robbery.
    - pc86 10y ago
      The exact wording varies by state in the US, but in my state if you make someone think you're armed, legally speaking you are armed. To use an apocryphal/urban legend example, if you stick a candy bar in a sweatshirt and point it at a cashier, that will receive the same punishment as if you pointed a loaded handgun at them.
- gspetr 10y ago
  Forgot the obligatory: - You are rich/famous.
- ska 10y ago
  Fair or not, I'm not sure how much international support you'll find for the idea of US justice system as a model to follow.
tomjen3 10y ago
That would depend on what they did and who they are, no? I hope nobody feels a nano-second sorry for a gang member, for example, but I would totally be willing to allow a kid who shoplifted to pay restitution and do community service/house arrest.
- lazaroclapp 10y ago
  Because gang members never end up joining gangs because of dire economic need, nor can they be rehabilitated \s Sure, "community service" might be a poor way to rehabilitate a long-term gang member, and some more extensive process might be needed to re-introduce them to society. But I wouldn't take it as far as saying nobody should ever feel sorry for them or that justice should seek to punish them instead of rehabilitating them. In fact, it seems to me like a tracking bracelet would be quite reasonable at some point in this process, since it would make them a liability for other gang members and thus help keep them away from that environment.

by xxs 10y ago

pc86 10y ago

In the US at least, community service is typically only an option if: - It's your first offense - You more-or-less admit to the crime (not necessarily meaning you turned yourself in, but you didn't go through a trial while maintaining your innocence the whole time) - You are clearly remorseful - The crime is minor and non-violent - The odds are seen as low or very low that you'd do it again There are exceptions of course, but if you commit armed robbery, I don't think many people would feel community service is a just sentence. Nor would shoplifting if it's the 5th time you've been caught.

xxs 10y ago
>> if you commit armed robbery... There are significantly less guns available compared to the US, so armed robberies are likely heavily punished too. While I don't say all sentences should be light as a feather, there are a lot of 'jails' (especially in Norway) where the inmates can go home for the evening or weekend.
- jimmywanger 10y ago
  Armed does not imply gun. It implies weapon of any sort. I'm not even sure if just the implied threat of a weapon elevates it to armed robbery. But if you threaten somebody with a knife or club, I think you still get charged with armed robbery.
  - pc86 10y ago
    The exact wording varies by state in the US, but in my state if you make someone think you're armed, legally speaking you are armed. To use an apocryphal/urban legend example, if you stick a candy bar in a sweatshirt and point it at a cashier, that will receive the same punishment as if you pointed a loaded handgun at them.
gspetr 10y ago
Forgot the obligatory: - You are rich/famous.
ska 10y ago
Fair or not, I'm not sure how much international support you'll find for the idea of US justice system as a model to follow.

tomjen3 10y ago

That would depend on what they did and who they are, no? I hope nobody feels a nano-second sorry for a gang member, for example, but I would totally be willing to allow a kid who shoplifted to pay restitution and do community service/house arrest.

lazaroclapp 10y ago
Because gang members never end up joining gangs because of dire economic need, nor can they be rehabilitated \s Sure, "community service" might be a poor way to rehabilitate a long-term gang member, and some more extensive process might be needed to re-introduce them to society. But I wouldn't take it as far as saying nobody should ever feel sorry for them or that justice should seek to punish them instead of rehabilitating them. In fact, it seems to me like a tracking bracelet would be quite reasonable at some point in this process, since it would make them a liability for other gang members and thus help keep them away from that environment.