I think the number of people who cannot be rehabilitated is incredibly small. There will always be a small number of people not safe to be in society.

Justice is a tricky thing. Justice has a bad tendency to become revenge. Victims deserve to be made whole where possible. But (especially in the case of violent crime) it’s not always possible. In those cases the best we can do is make them feel safe.

Criminal justice reform should focus on nonviolent offenders first. They make up the bulk of offenders and they cost the taxpayers the most money. In those cases, education and certain other reforms such as making background checks illegal for most jobs and housing would go a long way towards reducing recidivism.

I do support stiff penalties for violent crimes. Violent offenders have not just shown a lack of options but also a lack of respect for the lives of others. The system should still attempt to rehabilitate them - many are still released at some point so it is in the interest of society - but it is much more justifiable to lock them up for longer periods.