A man commits a terrible crime. Maybe he was a thief who ruined many people's lives. Maybe he murdered someone. Anyway, whatever it is, he comes to a place of turn-around. Maybe not spiritually, but he starts living a different way. He gets a job that contributes to society. He has a family and lives a normal "good life" for, lets say, twenty years.
If he gets caught all this time later, do you think he should have to go to prison? (Let's not get into legal stuff, I don't know legal stuff)
If yes, then why? What is the purpose of prison? Is it to "make him pay"? Is it to make the victims feel vindicated? Is it to rehabilitate the criminal?
I was watching an old James Cagney movie and he had been a thief, but after eluding the police, he gave up crime and became a famous actor. And it just got me thinking that it seems it would be waste of time and resources to put him in prison at that point. He had turned from his evil ways. What would be the point?
What do you think?
