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If only; that would be some tasty irony for a theology degree-holding judge

The purpose of prison ought to be reconciliation and rehabilitation, not revenge or forced contrition. Many prisoners do feel remorse for their crimes, but unfortunately recidivism is so high (in America) because our socioeconomic and judicial systems are tooled to undermine a parolee’s attempts to reintegrate into society, setting them up for failure.

Only in extreme circumstances, i.e. truly sociopathic criminals, should sentences that remove all hope of reintegration or release be issued. True sociopaths are incapable of feeling remorse, no matter how long or under whatever conditions they are kept. They do understand the weight and impact their crimes had on their victims, but they do not care. No amount of coercion will change that. In these fringe cases, I’d argue that giving them the choice between lifelong sequestration or self-inflicted suicide is ostensibly the best solution for everyone.

Ah, a classic. ALF truly is timeless.

When I was a kid, I was scared of spiders, house centipedes, and heights. On a school trip to a tall building, I was terrified but eventually worked up the courage to look over the edge. The fear disappeared, and I realized that if I could overcome that, maybe I could face other fears too. So, I started learning about the things that scared me; spiders, centipedes, the dark, etc. I found that the more I learned about something, the less frightening they became. For example, house centipedes are harmless, clean, and even help by getting rid of destructive pests. Understanding really helps ease fear. It confuses me that some people seem to want to stay afraid instead of trying to overcome it.