re: #227 goddamnedfrank

Our prison system is beyond draconian, it dehumanizes, destroys, creates costs and liabilities instead of focusing on rehabilitation and what’s best for society. My uncle went in for armed robbery and almost killed a man in prison, then came out with AIDS. Now he’s on Social Security disability and state Medicaid and will represent a debit on the government’s balance sheet for the rest of his life. Lose-lose.

It’s hard not to feel that the treatment Anders is going to receive is ridiculously lax and unjustifiable in light of his crimes, but our society has created exponentially more mass murderers, and harsher punishment sure hasn’t proved to be any sort of cure.

Terrible with what happened to your uncle. I really don’t even want to think about sometimes. I went in for jury duty once and couldn’t even stand the atmosphere of the justice building. Watching the prisoners (or defendants) in their orange jumpsuits with leg shackles. They almost had a medicated quality to them. The hyper and animated nature of the attorneys. The god like characters of the judges. The enraged and worried families of the victims and the defendants. It was a different world then mine. I just wanted to get out of the place fast.