Consider the followi…

Consider the following sentences:

• 5 years probation for pleading guilty to homosexual rape of a 15-year-old.
• 3 years probation for pleading no contest (but admitting to) homosexual rape of a 16-year-old.
• 60 days in jail for repeatedly raping a girl during the 4 years she was age 7-10.

All these sentences were handed down in a 2-week period, January 6-19, in Massachusetts and Vermont.

In the debate on punishment vs. rehabilitation, certainly there should be some combination of the two. And at least have the former if the latter is deemed unlikely (think repeat offenders, as in the second and third examples above) if for no other reason that societal self-defense. These are children we’re talking about, after all.

UPDATE: The 60-day sentence has been extended to 3-10 years. The judge’s statement:

“The court agrees a punitive response – punishment – is a valuable and necessary component of society’s response to criminal conduct,” he said. “It is a tool that the court has routinely used for the past 24 years on the trial bench. As stated during the sentencing hearing, however, punishment is not enough of a response in some cases.

“This is one of those cases,” he said.

But to me, the original sentence didn’t have much of any punitive response. Nonetheless, I’m glad this was done.

(Cross-posted at Stones Cry Out. Comments welcome.)

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