Camden, NJ 14 year old pleads guilty to killing an 18 year old. Here
Her sentence is 20 years, at least 17 in prison per the article.
Enough?
Too much?
Too little?
My initial reaction was not enough. She essentially executed someone, and I doubt she’ll be reformed when she leaves prison at age 31.
On the other hand, she is 14. As my wise wife pointed out, keeping people locked up is expensive.
If I had my druthers I’d have her on a hard labor detail until she was too old and decrepit to do it, or to hurt anyone else. Then I would let her free.
Camden, NJ 14 year old pleads guilty to killing an 18 year old. Here
Her sentence is 20 years, at least 17 in prison per the article.
Enough?
Too much?
Too little?
My initial reaction was not enough. She essentially executed someone, and I doubt she’ll be reformed when she leaves prison at age 31.
On the other hand, she is 14. As my wise wife pointed out, keeping people locked up is expensive.
If I had my druthers I’d have her on a hard labor detail until she was too old and decrepit to do it, or to hurt anyone else. Then I would let her free.
Was the 18 year old a bitchy pawnbroker and did the killer use an axe?
The allure of gangs is very strong - kids feel they belong, there’s security, ‘family’, etc. At 14, the girl is not emotionally mature enough to deal with alot of stuff. The article doesn’t say anything about her family life (i.e. single working mother, absentee father, no positive role models, etc.) The leader of the gang, IMO, is the one responsible here.
20yrs, 17 in prison, is way too much. Sure, if we want a system based on punishment, and not rehabilitation, then perhaps. But why not take her out back and shoot her, then - much cheaper. It costs over $100k per year to incarcerate a female prisoner. And you’re right, she won’t be reformed when she leaves prison, it will have provided her with the only social structure that she knows.
Sad case, really, and a strong arguement for why we need to break up gangs and the gang culture…
20yrs, 17 in prison, is way too much. Sure, if we want a system based on punishment, and not rehabilitation, then perhaps. But why not take her out back and shoot her, then - much cheaper.
Your point has merits. I think she’s either got to go away for a long time, or a short time. If I thought she would be a contributing member, or, heck, a non-disruptive member of society when she got out after a few years, then I might agree with that. However, I don’t have a lot (or any) faith in the rehabilitative nature of our “corrections” system.