Unreal Prison Sentences

[Lace Neil Singer]

Maybe in his next reincarnation, he will actually BE the victim of someone else's crime... O.o

[Hyena Dandy]

So, interesting philosophical question, which may be of particular interest to GK, who may actually have an opinion on reincarnation.

If we can eventually prove that people are reincarnated, and find who's reincarnated where, will we be likely to try to get their next incarnation for the same crime? He only served 62 years out of a 500 year sentence after all...

[Lace Neil Singer]

It's like the way that serial killers in England used to always be charged with one killing only; the reasoning being that if they got off on that charge, they could always be hit with another and another til they finally got nailed.

For example, Christie who was charged with the murder of his wife only, even tho several other bodies were found on the premises.

[fireheart17]

Thanks everyone for the clarification..I honestly had no idea that those high number of years was given for that reason. I always thought it was mainly to "prove a point" to the world type of thing.

I'm glad I posted this here..I ended up learning something new

I was actually thinking the same thing after I watched a rerun of SVU where the leader of a pedophile ring gets sentenced to 3000 years or so: 2 years for every image of child porn he had on his laptop. You do the math.
The "father" that abused the main "child character" in the episode just got 20 years.

[kibbles]

Thanks everyone for the clarification..I honestly had no idea that those high number of years was given for that reason. I always thought it was mainly to "prove a point" to the world type of thing.

I'm glad I posted this here..I ended up learning something new

[Andara Bledin]

Another reason for the multiple sentences adding up to centuries of jail time is so that if a few of the counts get overturned at a later date, the person still has to serve the counts that are upheld.

This works for both concurrent and consecutive sentences.

^-.-^

[Amanita]

I think that's what was done to the original World Trade Center bombers- the judge worked out roughly how many more years of life each of the victims might have had (based on average lifespan), added them up, and sentenced the bombers to that. I think it was 300 some-odd years each of the defendants got, with no chance of parole. Served the fuckers right.

[Nekojin]

I mean for multiple offenses that add up to hundreds of years. I may be wrong, but I would assume they would be able to say life with no possibility of parole.

Wouldn't that ensure someone is put away for life?? I may be off..interested to hear further.

It depends on the crime(s) in question and the sentencing range defined by statute. In many cases, one charge of {foo} isn't enough to justify a non-parole life sentence, so twenty charges of {foo} also couldn't get a charge of non-parole life sentence. So, in order to express the severity of the crimes, and a desire to prevent the accused from EVER getting back out again, the only option is to give multiple long sentences to put them away forever.

[linguist]

it has to do with the maximum sentence a judge can give on each count. life without the possibility of parole is a specific sentence reserved for specific crimes. if it is not a sentence available for the crimes involved, multiple counts can be given the maximum sentence so that consecutively they effectively add up to the same thing, but the sentence cannot be overturned on appeal due to being outside the scope of law for the crimes being tried.

[kibbles]

I mean for multiple offenses that add up to hundreds of years. I may be wrong, but I would assume they would be able to say life with no possibility of parole.

Wouldn't that ensure someone is put away for life?? I may be off..interested to hear further.

[bainsidhe]

Do you mean 200 to 400 years for a *single* offense, or multiple offenses that add up to hundreds of hears? People get parole and one way of ensuring an offender stays in prison is to give them long sentences that ensures they're put away for life.

[kibbles]

*Disclaimer* I agree with criminals being sentenced and sentenced appropriately when they commit horrific crimes and there are those that should not be let in society again.

My beef is with cultures (i.e. U.S.) sentencing someone to 200 years or to 400 years...I don't know if it's just me but it smacks of a grandiose display of power and I actually think less of the place and its justice system.

I agree 100% that there are those (i.e. Sandusky) that deserve to stay in prison forever..but how hard is it for a place to state "life in prison with no chance of parole" or will that take away the so-called toughness of a place and its justice system??