The English laws punish vice; the
The English laws punish vice; the Chinese laws do more, they reward virtue.
In prison, you get the chance to see who
In prison, you get the chance to see who really loves you.
Nor cell, nor chain, nor dungeon speaks
Nor cell, nor chain, nor dungeon speaks to the murderer like the voice of solitude.
Men are not prisoners of fate, but only
Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
Oh who is that young sinner with the
Oh who is that young sinner with the handcuffs on his wrist? And what has he been after that they groan and shake their fists? And wherefore is he wearing such a conscience-stricken air? Oh they're taking him to prison for the colour of his hair.
While crime is punished it yet
While crime is punished it yet increases.
In prisons, those things withheld from
In prisons, those things withheld from and denied to the prisoner become precisely what he wants most of all.
The object of punishment is prevention
The object of punishment is prevention from evil; it never can be made impulsive to good.
Let us remember that justice must be
Let us remember that justice must be observed even to the lowest.
It becomes not a law-maker to be a
It becomes not a law-maker to be a law-breaker.
The contagion of crime is like that of
The contagion of crime is like that of the plague. Criminals collected together corrupt each other; they are worse than ever when at the termination of their punishment they re-enter society.
There are only two places in the world
There are only two places in the world where time takes precedence over the job to be done. School and prison.
Once we are destined to live out our
Once we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our mind, our duty is to furnish it well.
He was a first-time nonviolent possible
He was a first-time nonviolent possible offender, ... And under the mandatory minimums, he was put in prison for 15 years. Not only does the punishment not fit the crime, but the mandatory minimums don't give judges any discretion to look at the background of the case, to read into the specifics of the case. I don't know a judge who really is in favor of the mandatory minimums.
There are few better measures of the
There are few better measures of the concern a society has for its individual members and its own well being than the way it handles criminals.
The severest justice may not always be
The severest justice may not always be the best policy.
No man survives when freedom fails. The
No man survives when freedom fails. The best men rot in filthy jails, and those who cry 'appease, appease' are hanged by those they tried to please.
Care should be taken that the punishment
Care should be taken that the punishment does not exceed the guilt; and also that some men do not suffer for offenses for which others are not even indicted.
Most people fancy themselves innocent of
Man is born free, and everywhere he is
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.
He who profits by a crime commits it.
He who profits by a crime commits it.
A man who has no excuse for a crime, is
A man who has no excuse for a crime, is indeed defenseless!
Vices are not crimes.
Vices are not crimes.
What restrains us from killing is partly
What restrains us from killing is partly fear of punishment, partly moral scruple, and partly what may be described as a sense of humor.
Clemency alone makes us equal to the
Clemency alone makes us equal to the gods.
