Karla Homolka, Canadian serial killer, getting out....

[Dr Mordrid]

Figures

Example of "prision justice": back in the '70's we had a woman that microwaved her 3 month old infant. As is the case in Michigan there is no death penalty (DAMMIT!) and she was given life in prison.

That amounted to less than 6 months. At some point the other female lifers got her alone, tied her hair to her cell bars then proceeded to rotate her body until SNAP.

No tears were shed either by the public or the system and since the ones who did it (or at least the two who took the fall) were already lifers all they got was another life term and moved to a higher security facility.

Killing kids is not looked on kindlly by the prison population, and that would very likely have extended to Ms. Homolka offing her little sister.

Dr. Mordrid

[Tjalfe]

I guess we should just shoot all offenders on sight.. saves the system alot of money

[Jammrock]

Is that really a flaw of the system?

That depends on your point of view. There are many criminals in the US that committed, and were convicted or confessed to, very haneous crimes. As either part of their plea, or variation in state law, they did not get the death sentaence. Now I guess if you don't believe in capital punishment then it wouldn't be a "flaw in the syste." However, many view it as a, "trial by peers," in which their peers decided to enforce more harsh punishment.

My wife said it partially out of sarcasm, as partially because she feels that certain crimes warrant a persons erasal from the gene pool. This was one of those cases. Otherwise she is rather anti-capital punishment.

Jammrock

[Jammrock]

I guess we should just shoot all offenders on sight.. saves the system alot of money

Only after a confession and/or fair trial

[KvHagedorn]

Well.. I agree, Jamm. It's pretty sad when you look at how much public money is spent on the worst part of society while poor yet intelligent people get thrown out of work, underpaid, left with no health insurance or any hope of affording college for themselves or their kids.

I know someone who had to quit her job at the welfare office because it made her sick to give away government checks that were bigger than people earn working for a living.. to pretty much worthless examples of humanity. And if you get thrown in prison the state spends more on you than a whole lot of people make for a living as well, while said prisoner has to fight for his life or get sodomized and generally have his character ground down into that of a caged animal by the brutality of the prison society so that when he does get out he really is not "rehabilitated," but mentally and emotionally damaged. Their lives are ruined anyway.

But it salves the consciences of rich liberals to give the dregs a free ride, while their own employees get minimum wage and no health insurance.

[schmosef]

I never understood how governments can get away with not providing adequate security for prisoners in jail.

IMHO, if the government decides that it has to take possession of you, it should be responsible for your well being. Jail is supposed to be about rehabilitation. I don't see how anyone can rehabilitate in that environment.

Why haven't prisoners sued the government for turning a blind eye to the constant physical abuse that goes on inside prisons?

There was a case in Toronto about 13 Years ago where a criminal was released because the Crown prosecutor said something intimidating to the defendant regarding jail. It was something to the effect that he was going "to a dark place" and included some sort of reference to the high likelihood for molestation. The judge ruled the comment inappropriate and tossed out the otherwise open and shut case.

[KvHagedorn]

Just saw on the local news that a convenience store clerk was murdered by a thief. Everyone said she was a great person who made everyone's day. I guarantee that if her murderer is caught, more money will be spent prosecuting, imprisoning, and executing him than that poor woman would have made in her whole life if she worked until she was 90.

He will probably never be brought to justice, since he was wearing a ski mask..