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Originally Posted by milo
Ive happily been the passenger in a car driven by someone who killed a person with their driving
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That's a little different in that they probably didn't want that to happen. Mistakes and accidents happen, indeed we've all done things that were a bit foolish I imagine. In general, I don't see the point of imprisoning someone for killing someone in a car accident and even if they were drink driving or speeding I certainly wouldn't support a very harsh punishment (presuming it was a first offence) - I'm presuming 90% of people would have their conscience to haunt them.
Rape (in the sense I am talking about it - violent rape of a stranger) is a little different and I think we've got to presume there's some sort of "problem" with a person who has done such a thing. Even in the cases of fairly violent rape I doubt someone receives a life sentence in the sense they die in prison - afaik that only happens with the worst categories of prisoners and where the Home Secretary basically says "Fk you if you think I'm being known as the guy who let out Myra Hindley" or whatever. In either case, it would seem a little naive to presume that we don't let people out of prison without them being "cured" somehow.
The % of people reoffending after leaving prison seems to vary wildly from study to study but at least 5% within three years seems credible based on the
US figures. Now 95% not reoffending (or at least, not re-committing a sex crime and/or getting caught) seems pretty good but I guess it depends on how we view it. If someone said there was a 5% chance the plane you were about to get on would explode you might consider waiting for the next one.