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Do Criminals Ever Pay Their Complete Debt to Society?
Townhall.com ^ | September 27, 2020 | Jeff Davidson

Posted on 09/27/2020 5:17:14 AM PDT by Kaslin


Source: LightFieldStudios

With a third Trump Supreme Court nominee, leftist ‘peaceful protesters’ are kicking up their heels. Given the gargantuan number of crimes that have occurred in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Kenosha, Chicago, Milwaukee, Miami, New York, Atlanta, Louisville, and scores of other cities, maybe the criminals, rioters, looters, ‘peaceful protesters,’ Marxists, and outright thugs find strength in numbers.

As long as they commit a series of crimes en masse, then perhaps the police, state troopers, National Guard, FBI, Department of Justice, and all other agencies and organizations involved in maintaining law and order will not be able to keep up. Maybe they will not be able to identify all of the perpetrators, round them up, charge them accordingly, build an effective case, and prosecute them.

Identified and Processed

Whether or not this is true remains to be seen. With the widespread availability of cell phones, surveillance cameras, and other video footage, days, weeks, and months after individuals commit crimes they are being sought, arrested, and advised to retain an attorney.

So, to the criminals, beware, you only think you're getting away with crime. Once you are identified and processed, you are in the system for all time. Your record will follow you everywhere, throughout your life.

A nagging issue, nevertheless, remains. When someone commits a crime, even if he or she serves time for the transgression, whether the crime is murder or as simple as vandalism, has the debt to society truly been paid? A notion prevails in society that serving time in jail or prison, or even paying fines and penalties somehow repays society. Is this the case, or even close to being so?

The True Costs of Crime

Let’s consider the crime of school yard vandalism and not murder or something heinous. In one town near Raleigh, North Carolina, four students vandalized the outside brick walls of the then newly constructed high school. These students wrote racially-charged messages intended to hurt other students. The perpetrators were quickly apprehended and sentenced.

Jail time, community service, and paying to have the brickwork cleaned seem to satisfy most people’s sense of fairness. What are the true costs, however, of such a crime? In the case of the four young men who chose to vandalize the school building, we have the emotional pain of those to whom the messages were directed.

If I were a student who had gone to this school, and one day I arrived to be greeted by a large message in spray paint that said I was not wanted there, would jail time, a few hours of community service, or removal of such paint restore me to my previous state? In the next few days, or weeks, or months, am I likely to forget about the message conveyed? Am I likely to view my school with different eyes?

Even if the messages were harmless, such as a school slogan, what about the cost of the law officers, school officials, town officials, town magistrates, and court officials? What about the judge involved in bringing the case to court, achieving judicial resolution, and carrying out the sentence? Is their time collectively, including their per-hour costs, overtime, oil and gas for any vehicles, equipment, supplies, insurance benefits, and a host of real dollar costs, repaid by criminals?

Consider the costs the local jurisdiction pays in terms of constructing and maintaining facilities; cleaning linens; cooking meals; paying utility bills, including hot water, lights, and electricity to house such perpetrators during their jail time. How, and when, is that repaid? You guessed it – through tax dollars. Are such out-of-pocket costs to society ever paid by the perpetrators themselves?

Truth in Debt to Society

Consider the resulting costs to society when someone commits a robbery, armed robbery, grand larceny, fraud, assault, rape, or murder. For these and other crimes against individuals, organizations, governments, and other social institutions, are the comprehensive and true costs to the victims of the crime and society at large ever paid by those who commit such acts in the first place?

Now consider the enormous costs, on many dimensions, that the rioters, looters, ‘peaceful protesters,’ Marxists, and outright thugs bestow upon society. The grand total is staggering.

If criminals were charged with the full cost of their actions – call it “truth in debt to society,” including all of their processing, court, and incarceration costs – added to the penalty they’re assessed by the judge, then the justice system would be more sensitive to taxpayers, and at the least provide a heartier form of justice to victims and the criminals.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
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1 posted on 09/27/2020 5:17:14 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

If they reform, yes.


2 posted on 09/27/2020 5:21:19 AM PDT by mylife (Opinions: $1, Today's Special, Half Baked: 50c)
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To: Kaslin

Jeff’s ****y hurts.


3 posted on 09/27/2020 5:23:18 AM PDT by mylife (Opinions: $1, Today's Special, Half Baked: 50c)
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To: Kaslin

Eisenhower warned of the military-industrial complex.

Now there’s a crime-bureaucracy complex.

Terrorist acts spawn millions if not billions in lawyers, doctors, insurance, paperwork, counseling, etc. Now that’s an extreme case. Multiply that times myriad smaller crimes.

The victims and their families, of course, pay the price in heartache, pain, loss for decades.


4 posted on 09/27/2020 5:26:05 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: mylife

If they have a crappy lawyer, maybe.
If they pay big to a good lawyer, mostly no.


5 posted on 09/27/2020 5:26:57 AM PDT by polymuser (A socialist is a communist without the pow er to take everything from their citizens...yet.)
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To: Kaslin

Yes, and they can achieve complete and total redemption. As all of us can.


6 posted on 09/27/2020 5:27:20 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists...Socialists...Fascists & AntiFa...Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: polymuser

:)


7 posted on 09/27/2020 5:28:33 AM PDT by mylife (Opinions: $1, Today's Special, Half Baked: 50c)
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To: Kaslin; All

Many CRIMINALS/PSYCHOPATHS NEVER STOP until they are incarcerated or eliminated. Witness history. Isn’t that right Hillary? Barry? Jeffrey? Harvey? Billy Gates of Hell? George ballsac eyes Soros?

Where’s Ghislaine? Where’s Hunter?

Where’s Billy? Where’s John? Where’s Jeff? Where’s Chris?

2020

see clearly

“you’re never going to get even with PSYCHOPATHS. It doesn’t work like that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEjisyU2nts

Face - Words - Deeds

The NWOdor PUPPET is the PERFECT POTUS. Joementia talks like he has CFR dick “Age of Non-Polarity” haass in his mouth....or up his azz.

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2008-05-03/age-nonpolarity

Heels Up Horror Show? A ballsac-eyes $ORO$ INSTALL. Yeah, that’s their ticket America.

Remember the UKRAINE! COLOR REVS AND DICK TATES from JoeJoe for his PUPPETMASTERS? And...HUNT HER...WHERE’S HUNT HER? Don’t hunt me bro.

American propagandists...er press? JOURNOLISTS?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRMf3wKBCPo


8 posted on 09/27/2020 5:32:22 AM PDT by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
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To: Kaslin

Crimes cause permanent damage to society but through Christ all criminals can be redeemed, The concept of redemption is inherent throughout the bible culminating on the cross.


9 posted on 09/27/2020 5:32:47 AM PDT by Raycpa
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“Without Conscience” - Dr. Robert Hare
“Inside the Criminal Mind” - Stanton Samenow


10 posted on 09/27/2020 5:33:15 AM PDT by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
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To: Kaslin

NO.


11 posted on 09/27/2020 5:33:30 AM PDT by GailA (I'm a Trump Girl)
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To: P.O.E.

I’d say it’s a lawyer-government complex.

Most higher-level politicians are lawyers. Lawyer packs write undecipherable laws. Most judges are lawyers. Lawyers are required to argue their undecipherable laws before lawyer judges. Many fed department heads are lawyers. Many lobbyists are lawyers.

Lawyers take a cut of all that, win or lose.

Lawyers are most all D’rat.

Why does DC hate Trump? What is Trump NOT?


12 posted on 09/27/2020 5:33:38 AM PDT by polymuser (A socialist is a communist without the pow er to take everything from their citizens...yet.)
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To: Kaslin
Could be, depending on the crime. Some crimes are truly victimless and shouldn't be crimes.

But how is it possible to un-assault, un-rape, or un-murder a victim?

13 posted on 09/27/2020 5:34:56 AM PDT by Sooth2222 ("A conservative is a liberal who got mugged the night before" - Frank Rizzo)
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To: Kaslin

No, But if the felon promises to vote for Biden, Bloomberg will pay their debt for them.


14 posted on 09/27/2020 5:36:22 AM PDT by originalbuckeye ('In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act'- George Orwell..?)
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To: Kaslin

I am at a loss as to what this guy’s point is. A criminal can’t undo a crime. All we can reasonably ask of them is that accept a reasonable punishment, show remorse, make appropriate apologies and/or restitution, and most importantly, not commit another crime.


15 posted on 09/27/2020 5:37:16 AM PDT by drop 50 and fire for effect ("Work relentlessly, accomplish much, remain in the background, and be more than you seem.")
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To: Raycpa

The definition, practically, of a sin is an event that cannot be repaid. A sin. It may be repented, but repaid fully, never.

Jesus on the cross is the only full repayment...by God to God for us.

It’s good this author gave graffiti as an example. Rape would have shortened the argument to “never”.


16 posted on 09/27/2020 5:43:50 AM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: polymuser

I’ve been calling it the Criminal Justice Complex. It’s as real as anything.


17 posted on 09/27/2020 5:55:16 AM PDT by TalBlack
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To: TalBlack

It’s a system designed to get you in, and never let you out.


18 posted on 09/27/2020 5:56:48 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The NYT commits acts of violence with their words.)
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To: If You Want It Fixed - Fix It

Send them to Siberia as construction workers before the overpopulated Chicoms take over.


19 posted on 09/27/2020 5:56:52 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: All

WHY, WHY, WTF is Malik Nidal Hasan STILL ALIVE? JUSTICE in this REPUBLIC? C’mon man.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nidal+malik+hasan+status&t=osx&ia=web


20 posted on 09/27/2020 6:21:41 AM PDT by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
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