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Originally Posted by benzoate
I believe in redemption with limitations. Do we have recovering alcoholics flying airliners, YES. There are mechanisms in place to ensure the publics safety and provide the pilot with support. How do we protect the public from a violent felon? How do we protect the employees of a company? Being released from prison solely means the inmate completed a sentence, nothing more - nothing less. Recidivism rates for violent felons are extremely high and that is what managements are gambling on. In addition, what was the age of the offender at the time the crime was committed. Can you argue a teen or you adult can be rehabilitated? Can you make the same argument for someone who committed a violent crime in their 30s or 40s? I would argue displaying a propensity for violence later in life is not something a prison sentence is going to change. For argument sake do alcoholics relapse, absolutely, the difference being the violent aspect of the original offense.
These are all very good points, especially about the age at which the offense was committed and the type of offense as well.
It’s one thing to say he has paid his debt to society, which I don’t think that technically happens until he is done with probation. But that doesn’t mean that the ex-felon gets to do whatever the law allows. We do have some societal norms that have previously prevented these types of situations. For example, do we allow convicted pedophiles to teach in grade school? And I think there are some laws that expressly prevent certain convicts to work in certain professions. It’s just that recently these norms have increasingly come under attack. I don’t know if this is the case here but it would set a precedent for a new norm, I believe.
He should be allowed to pursue happiness and make living. But I don’t feel that necessarily means he should be able to do whatever he wants as far as career choice. I sincerely hope he has gotten whatever help he needed and has repented.