Learning about the judicial system has been one of the most shocking lessons to me simply because of the laws set in place for those who commit crimes. One of the most shocking facts though is that the French ‘life sentence’ is not really true to the title. The longest someone stayed in French prison was 42 years and the normal ‘life sentence’ is only 18 years. In the United States if you are given a life sentence in court, you’re staying in prison for life with no real chance of ever reintegrating into society.
There are pros and cons to having criminals reintegrate back into society. One pro is that they are given a second chance to turn themselves around. Instead of treating the criminals like animals in a cage, the government gives them dignity with opportunities to restructure their mindset. In the United States, I feel like the generalization is that the judicial system is not usually fair to those who have to go to prison.
A con to this system is that one of the only things standing in the way of a ‘former’ criminal being set loose on the streets is a psychiatric test. Though these tests are hard to pass and the medical personnel are careful with their decision, it is still scary that a murder can roam the streets freely after being locked up after a measly short 18 years. There is no surefire way to tell if the criminal will repeat their offense, so the French government is placing a lot of trust in their citizens. In the United States I would say there is a lack of trust, whether that is a good or bad thing depends on the eye of the beholder.
In the United States, the death penalty is legal and illegal depending on what state you are from. I am from Massachusetts and it was made illegal in 1984, but if you go to Texas the death penalty statute will still be in place. France abolished the death penalty in 1981 and has remained as such since then because of changing times. I personally do not believe in the death penalty because you should not fight fire with fire; another death does not need to occur, even if the perpetrator did heinous deeds. I can definitely see the opposing side of those wanting justice served to those who may have taken a life of a loved one, but the world doesn’t change and the events that unfolded do not undo.
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