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Stephen Sprunk

On 25-May-12 07:46, d wrote:
On Fri, 25 May 2012 13:36:48 +0100
Bruce wrote:
This would seem to offer strong support to those who argue that repeat
offenders should be locked up and the key thrown away as in the USA.
Personally, I think it points to the absence or failure of any real
effort to rehabilitate convicted offenders.

Some people are a victim of circumstance and can be rehabilitated, some
are just born bad and can never be.

I don't buy the "born bad" argument. However, I will grant that some
people's socialization as children/teens is so bad that they can never
be rehabilitated.

The UK legal system doesn't seem to make any distinction between the 2.

Neither does the US legal system, for the most part. Distinguishing
between the two cases in a fair and impartial way appears to be
impossible, so we don't even bother trying.

Also, harsh sentences for first-time offenders forces them into a life
of crime just to survive; they can never escape after that no matter how
much they may want to. In reality, most of the people you claim were
"born bad" were really just born _poor_.

S

--
Stephen Sprunk "God does not play dice." --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723 "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking