>> Depends. If you were foolish in your youth, have now matured...and deserve a break etc...then
>> fair enough.
>>
>> If you are a thieving piece of crap...no.
I don't think it's a question of morality or what the person deserves, it's about what is best for society. If a criminal record excludes somebody from society (including from work), then it makes it much more likely that they will re-offend.
A criminal justice system that makes people more likely to re-offend, would seem to be failing in its role of protecting the public.
I would say that the public is better protected if criminals are not excluded from it. There are exceptions, of course. You'd need to keep certain offenders away from children, and you should probably be allowed to filter out serious sex offenders from many other roles.
>> Very true. However, whilst they are in there, they are not inflicting their low morals,
>> standards and more importantly, criminal behaviour..on the rest of us.
>>
>> If they cannot stop thieving or whatever it is they do....have ever increasing sentences to
>> spare the rest of us.
It's a fair point. Trying to break the cycle would seem to be better though.
>> Ultimately. What do you do with someone who refuses to comply with the laws the
>> rest of us do? What's the bottom line?
The bottom line would have to be prison, I agree, and a long prison sentence at that.
If you have an individual who has committed crimes but has avoided the stigma of having to declare a criminal record, and if they have initially been punished (maybe a few times) with an alternative method, and (ideally) if they have had mental health issues addressed where possible, but they continue to offend, then a substantial prison sentence may have to be the final act.
I saw a case of retail fraud reported a few weeks back, the amount was in five figures, but seemed to be a first offence. Two years imprisonment if I remember correctly.
Perhaps fair from the point of view of morality, but a good outcome for society? Probably not. Probably a dose of mental health issues for the family, and a great incentive to get back into crime when he gets out with a criminal record. Perhaps all "deserved", but not good for you and me.
Likewise, I remember reading a few months back about the numbers of teenage mothers getting started on their criminal records, after stealing formula milk. Now, lot's of teenage mothers don't steal, so I'm not condoning it, but how many of those with records will spend the next few years sliding further and further away from society, and committing more and more crimes.
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