It's pretty clear that reporting a first time criminal, at least in America, is all but guaranteed to cement their life of crime and ensure there are future vic

It's pretty clear that reporting a first time criminal, at least in America, is all but guaranteed to cement their life of crime and ensure there are future victims. Not because the justice system is wrong in what it punishes, but because it is wrong in how it addresses these sorts of problems. Deploying some compassion in an attempt to short circuit this demented cycle doesn't sound selfish to me. It sounds like the only civic thing to do.