Quotes

Overlook our deeds, since you know that crime was absent from our inclination.

When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat. When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

Organized crime in America takes in over forty billion dollars a year. This is quite a profitable sum, especially when one considers that the Mafia spends very little for office supplies.

Justice renders to every one his due.

One crime has to be concealed by another.

When I was in prison, I was wrapped up in all those deep books. That Tolstoy crap - people shouldn't read that stuff.

Nothing can be more abhorrent to democracy than to imprison a person or keep him in prison because he is unpopular. This is really the test of civilization.

Extreme justice is extreme injustice.

Crimes generally punish themselves.

It is the spirit and not the form of law that keeps justice alive.

I know not whether laws be right, or whether laws be wrong; All that we know who lie in gaol is that the wall is strong; And that each day is like a year, a year whose days are long.

Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future lives and crimes to society.

Crime is a logical extension of the sort of behavior that often [is] considered perfectly respectable in legitimate business.

When you are younger you get blamed for crimes you never committed and when you're older you begin to get credit for virtues you never possessed. It evens itself out.

Here the great art lies, to discern in what the law is to be to restraint and punishment, and in what things persuasion only is to work.

The world itself is but a large prison, out of which some are daily led to execution.

While crime is punished it yet increases.

We are prisoners of ideas.

If punishment reaches not the mind and makes not the will supple, it hardens the offender.

He who opens a school door, closes a prison.

Man is condemned to be free.

I know not whether laws be right, or whether laws be wrong; All that we know who lie in gaol is that the wall is strong; And that each day is like a year, a year whose days are long.

Prisons don't rehabilitate, they don't punish, they don't protect, so what the hell do they do?

Prosecution I have managed to avoid; but I have been arrested, charged in a police court, have refused to be bound over, and thereupon have been unconditionally released - to my great regret; for I have always wanted to know what going to prison was like.