The perfection of a thing consists in
The perfection of a thing consists in its essence; there are perfect criminals, as there are men of perfect probity.
Whatever you think of de Sade, he was a
Whatever you think of de Sade, he was a complex figure and we should not look for easy answers with him. He was, strangely perhaps, against the death penalty, and he was never put in prison for murders or anything like that.
Some laws of state aimed at curbing
Some laws of state aimed at curbing crime are even more criminal.
Reality becomes a prison to those who
Reality becomes a prison to those who can’t get out of it.
When is conduct a crime, and when is a
When is conduct a crime, and when is a crime not a crime? When Somebody Up There -- a monarch, a dictator, a Pope, a legislator -- so decrees.
You utter a vow, or forge a signature,
You utter a vow, or forge a signature, and you may find yourself bound for life to a monastery, a woman, or prison.
And while God had work for Paul, he
And while God had work for Paul, he found him friends both in court and prison. Let persecutors send saints to prison, God can provide a keeper for their turn.
Most people fancy themselves innocent of
History is full of people who went to
History is full of people who went to prison or were burned at the stake for proclaiming their ideas. Society has always defended itself.
The idea that the sole aim of punishment
The idea that the sole aim of punishment is to prevent crime is obviously grounded upon the theory that crime can be prevented, which is almost as dubious as the notion that poverty can be prevented.
Steal goods and you’ll go to prison,
Steal goods and you’ll go to prison, steal lands and you are a king.
Why would anyone expect him to come out
Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? He went to prison for three years, not Princeton.
One crime has to be concealed by
One crime has to be concealed by another.
The degree of civilization in a society
The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.
I have never been contained except I
I have never been contained except I made the prison.
The object of punishment is prevention
The object of punishment is prevention from evil; it never can be made impulsive to good.
When I was in prison, I was wrapped up
When I was in prison, I was wrapped up in all those deep books. That Tolstoy crap - people shouldn't read that stuff.
The public have more interest in the
The public have more interest in the punishment of an injury than he who receives it.
Self is the only prison that can bind
Self is the only prison that can bind the soul.
One crime is everything; two nothing.
One crime is everything; two nothing.
Nothing can be more abhorrent to
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.
The virtue of justice consists in
The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom.
Only free men can negotiate. Prisoners
Only free men can negotiate. Prisoners cannot enter into contracts.
They were being driven to a prison,
They were being driven to a prison, through no fault of their own, in all probability for life. In comparison, how much easier it would be to walk to the gallows than to this tomb of living horrors!
The only difference between me and my
The only difference between me and my fellow actors is that I've spent more time in jail.
