What can be done? If we are to continue reducing punishments for apologetic offenders (and for the record, I think we should) I completely disagree. The artic

What can be done? If we are to continue reducing punishments for apologetic offenders (and for the record, I think we should) I completely disagree. The article already provides an excellent argument against this practice: it is inherently subjective and clearly biased. I'll add another argument: the justice system will never be perfect. We'll always occasionally convict innocent people. Such people cannot be asked to be contrite about a crime they did not commit, nor does it make any sense to hold their lack of contrition against them, as we currently do. I think the only fair way to do it is to base the initial sentence solely on the severity of the crime itself, and then, once the sentence is underway, to make parole decisions based solely on the prisoner's behavior in prison. Contrition should not factor into it.