If you were REALLY sorry for your crime...(TW: SA)

[RottingInBed]

Hello all,

I've been binge watching a series called "Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole" on Ch4. Basically teenagers who committed horrendous crimes (incl gang rape, burning someone to death) finding out whether they will stay in jail forever or be given a chance at parole at some point.

The victim's family is present during these hearings, hoping they will be told the criminals are not eligible for parole. Now of course, the criminals all claim to be rehabilitated (often having found God inside!) and to be truly sorry for their actions. But are still arguing that they SHOULD be released, in total defiance of what the victim's family wants.

So this is my question - if you had killed someone and you were IN FACT truly sorry and wanted to make it up to the family, would you not just STAY in jail (or even undergo the death penalty maybe, if that's what you'd been sentenced to?)

Has someone ever, in the history of the world, said "I did a terrible thing and I've rightly been sentenced to a full life term/the death penalty and frankly I deserve it and therefore I won't appeal?"

Thanks

I agree with you.

Has someone ever, in the history of the world, said "I did a terrible thing and I've rightly been sentenced to a full life term/the death penalty and frankly I deserve it and therefore I won't appeal

Yes, I think so but couldn't name them

Jail is not supposed to be simply about punishment, but rehabilitation. Albeit, British jails fail abysmally at rehabilitation!

These are people who have murdered or done other horrific crimes. Even if (apparently) reformed and/or sorry, they were never people who had any decency, morals, or respect or thought for anyone else, so will not behave as genuinely decent people would.
They may been taught in prison that murder/rape/assault etc. is bad, but does that mean they really feel it, and feel bad about what they did?

Yes, I agree that true contrition should mean repaying their debt to society and allowing victims and their families to have justice; i.e. serving their sentence.

They keep saying "well I was only 16 when I did it so I should get another chance". Yeah, well the dead person doesn't do they? It's as if it's not ok to talk about PUNISHMENT and PAYING YOUR DEBT TO SOCIETY. Maybe we focus too much on rehabilitation?

Why can't they just say "yes, I killed someone horribly and BECAUSE I am truly sorry, I will sit here in jail and not force the bereaved family to go through yet another court process".

I think the thing is that people who commit unspeakable crimes clearly have no conscience so it is unlikely they will ever accept responsibility for what they did and any claims otherwise are just bollocks.
On the god front I once had someone do something horrible to me and when I confronted her about it later she said it was fine because she had prayed (she was a born again christian) and god had forgiven her. She did not accept it was my forgiveness she should be asking for.

Sorry to hear your experience @Blackcats7

Yeah, it's like a script isn't it. They literally ALL claim to have been abused as children and to have found God in prison. As a pp said, maybe they learn from other inmates what to say.

I would never think ‘well I did the crime so deserve the death penalty’ because I don’t agree with the death penalty.

I am a very different person to the person I was at 16 so I can understand why somebody who committed a crime at 16 might get to a point where they felt they had done their time, were rehabilitated and deserved a chance of a real life. Few people kill or commit crimes as teens because they are evil, often they have had their own awful life experiences, been exploited or groomed or caught up in gangs etc themselves. I’m not saying it’s excusable but I don’t believe somebody’s actions as a teen should always determine the rest of their lives, I do believe in rehabilitation and in second chances and I can understand how you could feel sorry for what you did but also feel like you have turned your life around to the point you deserve a second chance and a chance to go out in the world and do some good.

Watching this whole programme (I am now an expert on juvenile crimes in the state of Georgia) there was only one case where I thought I MIGHT have released the guy. His girlfriend told him her father abused her in order to get him to shoot him and his wife. The wife died. The husband survived and said she was manipulative etc. It's thought her true motive was to be allowed to continue their rship and get their money.

Any of the torture/sex crimes, I would NEVER release.

Jon Venables comes to mind, released time and time again only to reoffend. The way Jamie Bulgers mum has been treated by the justice system is horrific.

Well it wouldn't work in the U.K.!

Not sure what prison budgets are like in the US though.

Yeah in the UK these kids would have been walking the streets again in a couple of years.

I was indeed thinking of the James Bulger killer when some bloody do-gooder came on the telly and said something to the effect that no child is irredeemable. I was like "NOPE! DISAGREE!"

If you torture someone to death, the LEAST you deserve is 141 years in jail!

Has someone ever, in the history of the world, said "I did a terrible thing and I've rightly been sentenced to a full life term/the death penalty and frankly I deserve it and therefore I won't appeal?"

Yes. Plenty of criminals throughout history have pleaded to be locked up or sectioned as their crimes escalated because they knew what the end result would be.

@User261 thanks, that's interesting. Can you remember the names/cases?

No chance of parole = no hope

I for one am against that

I agree with you OP and I've had the same thought before.

If I did something terrible, even if it was an accident (eg killed someone when driving) I'd want to be punished for it.

And you would be punished

But would you opt to stay in prison and not apply for parole once you become eligible? Or would you opt to just stay in too a release date rolls round?

Mumsnet is getting increasingly populated by populist Daily Mail/Sun readers these days.
😩

For the most part it's a human instinct to do whatever it takes to get a favourable outcome for one's self IE found god etc.id say it's more unusual to admit wrong doings and accept say a full life sentence and know you're going to die in prison.

The last part of my post didn't make sense.a full tariff sentence as opposed too time off for parole.obviously whole life tariff cannot be altered by behaviour such as finding god etc.

I don't disagree with your wider point , but many young criminals were abused. They're not claiming anything.

I also find this finding god thing abhorrent. Stephen bear knocks me sick.

Someone thenother week was claiming we should let one of them haxk into society because he hasn't committed any further crimes

How kind of him

Should Sally Challen still be in prison?

@IWasAimingForTheSky I agree, a high percentage of the prison population have been abused as children. But it is also possible that some are lying about it. In this particular programme, there's a "sob story" portion to every episode. In an ironic/sick way, it actually reminds me of X-factor, it's so predictable.

I wonder how many people have committed suicide rather than give in to urges to kill or worse ?

Maybe there's a cosmic balance ?