[boolemancer]

Seems like the best way for somebody to get over a bad thing that they did in their past is to be forthright in acknowledging that they did the bad thing, and show through their actions how they've become a better person.

In other words, accept responsibility and earn back your reputation.

Hiding the truth seems like the exact opposite of that.

[DougBTX]

> Hiding the truth seems like the exact opposite of that.

It seems like “true defamation” could be a lie of omission. If someone harps on about a past misdeed but omits N years of atonement, that’s misleading, even if true.

[worthless-trash]

You can historically prove a misdeed, but how do you prove atonement other than a prison sentence ? Even then, how does that prove change ?

[chmod775]

If the goal of your prison system is rehabilitation, then the fair thing to do is assuming they changed. Possibly even if the only purpose of imprisonment was punishment.

This depends on risk of course. You and society shouldn't be exposed to undue risk because of that assumption. But limitations on the offenders freedom to - for instance - perform certain jobs after their release should be decided by a court, not the general population.

[shadowgovt]

> but how do you prove atonement

Accumulated years of not repeating the mistake. And people will disagree on how many are necessary.

[worthless-trash]

> Accumulated years of not repeating the mistake.

> And people will disagree on how many are necessary.

I think you've hit the nail on the head, there is unwritten large variance timeframes that people "need to have met" for atonement, it isnt an easy solution.

The radiation continues to affect, long after the nuclear explosion.