"I can't believe this crap," Masters said.
And THAT's why he needs to be locked up. The idea of a FELONY is that it is so terrible a crime that your civil status is changed forever. Felonies used to merit death or banishment or serious maiming. Loss of the franchise, now considered harsh, was kind of a mercy because at least you were alive to lose the franchise!
But this guy just doesn't get it. It's NOT a game of arbitrary sides. He is so out of it that he doesn't see that there's anything wrong with what he did.
It is the flaw of writing laws with the law-abiding in mind. Most decent people would have their life changed by a night in jail. However, when a night in jail ceases to be a problem for a person, perps come to believe that there is no downside to misdemeanors. If you have no morals and no problem with a night in jail (very unlikely anyway), why steal $1000 and get prison, when you can just take what you want $1 at a time and be immune from a serious sentence?
Master's can't believe "this crap" because it has defeated his system.