Why doesn't life imprisonment mean life? Aren't we too soft on criminals?

Question

Correction fearophobia, life does NOT mean life. They get out after 20 or so years making amockery of our justice system.

In reply to Osama bin Laden, yes, I thnk it should also apply to those who repent. Because there are false repentences and a price for wrongdoing is only right.

Answer 1

There's life and life with no possibility of parole. A lifer can often become eligible for parole with a relatively short time. All too often it becomes all about the poor criminal and the victim is forgotten. There's the lame excuse that the victim's dead and punishing the criminal won't bring them back. Blame the activists and liberals.

Answer 2

It probably has a lot to do with overcrowding and a little to do with bleeding heart liberals who think that all criminals can be rehabilitated. Prison is supposed to be a punishment. For most criminals prison is a far better place than where they grew up. They get 3 meals a day, medical and dental care, educational opportunities, recreation and conjugal visits.

Sentences are almost always reduced due to good behavior or because the prison is overcrowded and they have to let criminals out. For death row inmates, the appeals process can go on for 20 or more years, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars per inmate. Whoever said crime doesn't pay, didn't add in all the perks these guys get.

Answer 3

Because it costs a LOT OF MONEY to house elderly/infirmed/sick criminals and their re-offense rate is extremely low after age 60, even for violent crimes. For the price of one elderly inmate, you can house almost 2 younger violent offenders. It makes sense to eject these people (if the parole board agrees) and let them fend for themselves once they are too old to cause more trouble.

We are not too soft on criminals life in US prisions is extremely unpleasant, and sentences are very harsh compared to many other industrialized countries. The reason they have TV is for the guards sake, not the inmates. The reason they have education is because 90% of people in prison end up coming out into society again. You better hope they've not been tortured or driven insane by isolation or harsh treatment because they might move in next door to you.

Answer 4

Too many TVs,VCR,DVDs,PlayStation's and other mod Com's to keep in-mates comfortable at a price paid by tax payers. But this expense seems to hurt the government more than us. So after a time of luxury they are free to go, Out into the waiting arm's of a probation officer who will arrange money, jobs, cloths, food and somewhere to live with 2 - 5 yrs support (probation)until a time when they are familiar with the streets again and can plan next crime.

Answer 5

Of course we are. Forget about life. I am, and always have been, a hang them, flog them or shoot them person. Why should we put these creeps in prison and then have to spend millions each year keeping them there, in semi-luxury some would say. We would soon see a dramatic drop in crime using the above methods and another plus factor is that sooner or later we could get rid of many of the sharks that follow the criminals namely barristers and lawyers.

heavenlyhaggis

Answer 6

Technically, life is "25 years to life" or something like that, depending on the state.

As always, you only get the minimum range of your sentence.

Then you have opportunities to earn time off for good behavior, etc... and you come up for parole and get out.

To me, if you commit a crime bad enough to warrant a life sentence, then you should spend your life there, but have an opportunity to come out on parole - but to get out on parole there would have to be an absolutely amazing circumstance (like you testify against other criminals, and become a priest and disavow violence, etc). And even then, if you do anything else, you go back to jail forever with no change of parole.

Answer 7

Enforce the death penalty on a federal level.
And, I like how the parole board will grant a guy parole because "he's a model prisoner", then when they're out, they commit the same crimes they were in for in the first place. Of course he's going to "behave" in prison. It's a controlled environment.
Here in Oregon a few years back, parole was granted to a violent rapist before he served his full sentence. Guess what happened? Yep, he raped again. Gee, didn't see that one coming.

Answer 8

If they were sentenced to life in prison it should be more like 50 years than 20. We are to soft is right. Depending on the offense the death sentence maybe more appropriate. White collar crime is a joke. They are sent to prison country clubs. Do you feel Martha Stewart had a bad experience in prison.

Answer 9

The judges are way to soft on crime,They give baby rapers and pedophile teachers probation, and the next day give someone 30 days for kicking a damn dog. The priorities of these activist judges are all screwed up.WE need to find a way to hold these incompetent judges accountable for letting violent criminals run loose.

Answer 10

Prison is weight training, so you can pound the crap out of anyone when you get out. Prison is watching television so you don't really miss out on too much. I have heard of some pimps even running their business from telephones in prison. 3 square meals a day, cigarettes, it is like a holiday for some. It should be no cigs, no weights, no tv, no phone, no computer, and indvidual cells to stop the sexual exploitation that goes on their. The system is warped.