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> Prison does not mean their life is over. Suicide means their life is over. Plenty of people live happy and fulfilling lives after getting out of prison. Actin

> Prison does not mean their life is over. Suicide means their life is over. Plenty of people live happy and fulfilling lives after getting out of prison. Acting like this person's life is over because of potential jailtime is an insult to anyone who has served time. 200 years. They have no expectation of ever leaving prison. It’s very easy for someone to believe that their life is forever over and that everyone they’ve ever known or loved will quickly stop paying notice to them. > And you are also ignoring that this person hasn't even been convicted or sentenced yet. That didn’t matter. When you have people standing over you, confidently declaring that no, really, you’re going away forever, the case against you is very strong, impenetrable even, this is all your fault and you’re a failure and people will laugh at your absence. That does *a lot* to a person. > The treats of the maximum penalty were potentially a bargaining tactic to get a plea deal. That is something that happens constantly in this country and another facet of our legal system that I don't support. Arguably, it’s psychological torture. Just because a lot of so-called criminals can survive it without being overwhelmed to the point of suicide doesn’t mean they all will.

slg 5y ago
No one thought Swartz would actually get 200 years in prison. Sure, his situation sounds more dire if you exaggerate it beyond reality.
- t-writescode 5y ago
  Apparently Swartz did. I imagine *plenty* of neurodivergent people would. Someone says “you’re on the hook for a 200 year in prison crime”, what else would someone who thinks literally think that means?
  - slg 5y ago
    Firstly, the max penalty was 35 years not 200[1]. Even 35 years wouldn't be his entire life. He also wasn't only hearing the voice of the prosecutor. He also assuredly had people telling him more realistic outcomes. Maybe that message never got through to him because he was not in the right mental state. It is possible that with the right people to talk to he would have realized there was plenty of reasons to continue living. That is why I think it is important to be honest about what killed him. We need to normalize the type of struggles he went through. We should make it clear that if even he can succumb to mental health problems that there is no outsmarting something like this. That is a more valuable lesson than "the district attorney has blood on her hands". [1] - https://web.archive.org/web/20120526080523/http://www.justice.gov/usao/ma/news/2011/July/SwartzAaronPR.html https://web.archive.org/web/20120526080523/http://www.justic...

slg 5y ago

No one thought Swartz would actually get 200 years in prison. Sure, his situation sounds more dire if you exaggerate it beyond reality.

t-writescode 5y ago
Apparently Swartz did. I imagine *plenty* of neurodivergent people would. Someone says “you’re on the hook for a 200 year in prison crime”, what else would someone who thinks literally think that means?
- slg 5y ago
  Firstly, the max penalty was 35 years not 200[1]. Even 35 years wouldn't be his entire life. He also wasn't only hearing the voice of the prosecutor. He also assuredly had people telling him more realistic outcomes. Maybe that message never got through to him because he was not in the right mental state. It is possible that with the right people to talk to he would have realized there was plenty of reasons to continue living. That is why I think it is important to be honest about what killed him. We need to normalize the type of struggles he went through. We should make it clear that if even he can succumb to mental health problems that there is no outsmarting something like this. That is a more valuable lesson than "the district attorney has blood on her hands". [1] - https://web.archive.org/web/20120526080523/http://www.justice.gov/usao/ma/news/2011/July/SwartzAaronPR.html https://web.archive.org/web/20120526080523/http://www.justic...