A new model for prison sentencing

A good hard-working man has lost his life due to a poor choice by a young adult, who has owned up to being responsible for the horrible tragedy. The young adult received a six-year prison sentence.

I present a different view on the sentencing and the next six years of this young adult’s life. When an individual commits a crime, the judicial system demands “pay your debt to society.” What if the system adopted a new mindset of demanding “pay your good deeds to society”? They would “pay society” through mandatory volunteering as part of the sentence.

Under the Good Deeds Program, the young adult would still receive a six-year sentence, but he may spend one or two years in prison, with the remainder assigned to volunteering at homeless shelters or other nonprofits.

Is the time right for a shift in consciousness? Good Deeds could take a horrible tragedy, where so much hurt and loss has entered the lives of the families and friends that were affected, and allow something positive to enter the lives of those in need. This way, the loss of a good hard-working man’s life isn’t in vain.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 6:36 AM with the headline "A new model for prison sentencing."