Maybe it's just a sign of our angry and divided times, but I'm finding that critics often don't read past the headline or the first couple of paragraphs before sending me a nasty-gram. So, in the interest of reading comprehension, I will start this unlikely-to-be popular column with some caveats.
I believe dangerous predators should spend their lives behind bars. I do not believe incarceration should be a picnic. Although there are some people in our state's prison system who shouldn't be there, I'm convinced that the vast majority of them do belong there. I do not think criminals are victims of society.
I also cringe at many California Democrats' refusal to take seriously public-safety concerns. I think punishment—and not just rehabilitation—is a proper role for the justice system. I also believe protecting innocents is more important than giving people a second chance. The main goal of justice reform should be to assure that any punishment fits the crime, not to make it harder to incarcerate murderers. I even voted for Proposition 36, the anti-crime measure Californians passed in November.
