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The US justice system should focus more on the perpetrator's motivations, as well as on his/her
actions, rather than on unintended consequences. The person who drove a mere 10 miles over the speed
limit and accidentally killed several people in the process would have enough guilt to live with for
the rest of his life that slapping on a lengthy prison sentences seems truly unwarranted.
This debate, however, touches on some of the deep flaws inherent in the American justice system, and
perhaps to a lesser degree the regimes of other countries as well. Penalties for relatively minor
crimes in the US are grossly inflated and do not reflect the actual seriousness of the given crime
or felony. It is completely unreasonable to give those caught trafficking in controlled substances
decades in prison, to threaten people who use the services of a prostitute with jail time or to hand
down multiple life sentences for any crime. Additionally, the US practice of offering parole after
85 percent of a sentence has been served seems excessive as well. A good, recent example of this is
the fate of disgraced media mogul Conrad Black. |
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I presume this is hypothetical. How did he kill 10 people? |
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12 Mar 2008 12:50
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