150-Year Jail Sentences Don’t Impress Me!

Financier Bernie Madoff, 72 years of age, faces the possibility of 150 years in jail for his illicit financial transactions. Madoff swindled 50-60 billion dollars from trusting investors over the past thirty years. When he has finished serving his jail sentence he will be 222 years old.

Of course, the above scenario is preposterous. It does however illustrate the meaningless nature of the sentences rendered in the court system. Why not simply sentence the guilty to a definite, but realistic number of years. Is the ridiculous number “150” designed to provide some comfort to the victims of the crime or to show that the judicial system really means business? Either way, these kind of dramatic sentences serve no real purpose.

Often the courts seem to relish imposing stern sentences. A criminal can be sentenced to two life terms to be served consecutively or concurrently. What is the point? Others have been sentenced to twenty or thirty or forty years in jail with no parole. Invariably, however, we read of long-term inmates being paroled before half their sentence has been served. Why not just sentence them to ten or fifteen or twenty years to begin with, and mean it?

The court system needs to reexamine their sentencing practices. As they exist today, most sentences mean nothing. They are arbitrary and seldom does the person charged ever serve their full sentence. In the case of Madoff most of his clients who have lost fortunes would just be happy to see him go to jail. At his age, the length of the sentence is quite immaterial.

Or perhaps, it might be more acceptable for Madoff to be made to do charitable or community service with strict supervision. The courts could impound any personal finances he still has and he would have to find a cheap place to live and would have to work to survive. If he could not survive on his own skills and abilities he would be forced to join the ranks of the homeless and destitute.

Wouldn’t that be a more suitable punishment than incarceration in a warm facility that provides for his basic needs of food, shelter and clothing? I certainly think so!