Misam Abidi on Crime

Swift due process better than simply increasing sentences

A: Oppose as a blanket strategy. People who intentionally commit serious violence must be removed from situations where they can continue harming others. But the severity of punishment alone does not produce lasting safety. Certainty, fairness, prevention, effective policing, and swift due process often matter more than simply increasing sentences. We must distinguish dangerous predators from people whose conduct is driven by addiction, untreated mental illness, desperation, or circumstances from which they can recover. Justice should protect victims, hold offenders accountable, and create a genuine path back for those capable of change. Government should never destroy a recoverable human being merely to appear tough.