[jacquesm]

It all hinges on whether or not you look at the justice system as an agent for revenge or one of correction and rehabilitation.

[rtpg]

Very true. It's one of those topics where people don't even start with the same axioms and definitions, so the discussion goes nowhere.

Personally, I was on the other side of the fence, until the constant evidence of the extreme suffering a large segment of the population goes through in prison convinced me that we're accomplishing immense amounts of harm this way.