All 3 white men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery are sentenced to life in prison

[conuly]

Two without chance of parole.

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/07/1070618256/ahmaud-arbery-killers-sentence

Let's be clear. In general I'm not in favor of life in prison, particularly without chance of parole, for many of the same reasons I'm not in favor of the death penalty plus the added bonus reason that the US prison system takes even worse care of geriatric prisoners than the rest of them.

It's not a sentence to toss around lightly, and should be reserved for people who have committed particularly heinous crimes and have a high likelihood of reoffending.

Well, these three committed a particularly heinous crime due to their deplorable beliefs, and judging from their behavior and words since then my gut feeling is that they probably would have a high likelihood of reoffending if given the chance.

So I will enjoy my sense of justice unhindered by any vague sense that the sentence is generally wrong, because in their particular case it really isn't. All that's left is for me to wish I could see the look on their faces when it finally sinks in that they are really, truly, 100% going to suffer the consequences of their decision to engage in cold-blooded murder. (I don't think, based on their words, that it really has yet.)

Comments

[flamingsword]

I, too, am not normally pro-prison, but I am willing to make exceptions for violent hate criminals.

[bibliofile]

I'm glad that they their sentences weren't lenient.

Of course, they're all going to appeal.

It will be interesting to see how the federal hate crimes trial goes, later this year.

[conuly]

To be clear, I'm not necessarily opposed to prison as a general concept, just to a. the way we do it in America b. the way we do sentencing in America c. most of the time life, especially without parole d. the death penalty all of the time.

[sallymn]

From what I have read of the case {shudder}... no one can say it isn't deserved.

[lilysea]

Yes, I agree with the life in prison sentence in this case. Partly because of the offenders chances of reoffending, and partly because of the need to send a strong message to the whole of society that no-one can murder random Black men for entertainment.

Life in prison without possibility of parole is very rare in Australia, but it happens sometimes.

It was the initial sentence a few years ago for a young man who followed and murdered a young woman who was not known to him, because he wanted to sexually assault and murder someone for his own gratification/entertainment. It was overturned on appeal, and I still think that it should have been upheld. [Psychiatric reports showed a lack of insight, lack of remorse, very high chance of reoffending, and very low chance of rehabilitation]

[silveradept]

This is one of the few situations where that punishment is warranted and correct for the crime committed.