Re: “ ” June 5 news story.
Thanks to Kevin Simpson for a shining the spotlight on the terrible injustice in our sentencing practices that seems to have become commonplace. Since the Rene Lima-Marin articles, I have become aware of other cases with 90-plus years imprisonment.
How is it possible that a couple of robberies by two adolescents — Lima-Marin and Michael Clifton — can deserve 98-year sentences? No deaths or injuries occurred, or even significant loss of property. Other wrongdoers have had sentences of 20 years for killing someone. Not that the crime should have gone unpunished, but how does this penalty serve the interest of the victims, the criminals or the taxpayers?
This is not justice (or good use of public funds) from any standpoint. The time in prison should be used for education, job training and a reasonable plan for returning to society to contribute as the rest of us do. We are losing out on a lot of fellow taxpayers with the current system.
Willa Allen, Westminster
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