Quotes

The perfection of a thing consists in its essence; there are perfect criminals, as there are men of perfect probity.

Fear can be like a prison. It is, however, a self made prison. Many are imprisoned by fear. No one else can liberate them from this prison. Others may inspire them but they must liberate themselves.

A man will be imprisoned in a room with a door that's unlocked and opens inwards, as long as it does not occur to him to pull rather than push.

Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.

Probably the only place where a man can feel really secure is in a maximum security prison, except for the imminent threat of release.

Let us remember that justice must be observed even to the lowest.

Two men look out the same prison bars; one sees mud and the other stars.

Women now have choices. They can be married, not married, have a job, not have a job, be married with children, unmarried with children. Men have the same choice we've always had: work, or prison.

One crime has to be concealed by another.

I am an expert of electricity. My father occupied the chair of applied electricity at the state prison.

It is true you cannot eat freedom and you cannot power machinery with democracy. But then neither can political prisoners turn on the light in the cells of a dictatorship.

I never saw a man who looked With such a wistful eye Upon that little tent of blue Which prisoners call the sky.

The object of punishment is prevention from evil; it never can be made impulsive to good.

Whatever is worthy to be loved for anything is worthy of preservation. A wise and dispassionate legislator, if any such should ever arise among men, will not condemn to death him who has done or is likely to do more service than injury to society. Blocks and gibbets are the nearest objects with legislators, and their business is never with hopes or with virtues.

Justice is that virtue of the soul which is distributive according to desert.

He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it.

The worst of prison life, he thought, was not being able to close his door.

There is no greater punishment of wickedness that that it is dissatisfied with itself and its deeds.

Pardon is the virtue of victory.

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 law does not pretend to punish everything that is dishonest. That would seriously interfere with business.

The power of punishment is to silence, not to confute.

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.

They took away my money, my family, and my security. Why couldn't they destroy my ideas? We will question them in court tomorrow as we trigger The Revolution of all revolutions!

The penalty for laughing in a courtroom is six months in jail; if it were not for this penalty, the jury would never hear the evidence.