11When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.
When I hear about people being on death row for 20 years, I think of this verse. When I hear of TV and internet for prisoners, college education and full healthcare, my blood boils. I think about the victims. Where is their internet and medical care? Justice is so slow, that many people wonder if justice ever happens in our system. I would contend that it is almost impossible to have justice here on this earth. Even when someone is executed for murder, justice does not bring the loved one back. But what really gets under my skin is the length of time it takes to get justice. Not all lawyers are evil, but sometimes the appeals process can get a bit carried away. When things drag on for years, people on the outside might be inclined to say, “Even if I get caught, they won’t kill me right away. I will have many more years of life, and life where all my physical needs are met at someone else’s expense.” Swift justice helps both the victim and the perpetrator. It helps society at large as well. There is a collective sigh of relief when justice gets served. People are less inclined to break the law when they know justice will be swiftly carried out. People currently can rightly claim that since sentencing takes so long and the chances of getting caught and convicted are low, crime is worth the risk. So many people get off because of some technicality. They get caught with blood on their hands, but because the paperwork doesn’t have the required signatures the blood evidence is thrown out as inadmissible. Some things just aren’t fair.
The Arnold Journey 