Justice?

The boy responsible for my brother's death, who having been given time served (~60 days) and parole for that offense violated said parole and shot a girl in the head within the year. This week he was tried for murder and today found guilty of 4 felonies (including felony murder) and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. While this brings some sort of ending to the story, I cannot help but wonder if Justice has been served and I am sitting here feeling as though nothing has changed and no peace can be found in this.

On the day of sentencing for Daniel's death, I watched two people be sentenced before this boy. The first - a 60 year old convicted for DUI with rap sheet : DUI, DUI, probation violation, probation violation, probation violation, DUI…. given probation. The second, a 60 year old cripple in a wheelchair who had been caught with a gram of marijuana in a plastic bag and sentenced for possession with intent to distribute got more time than this loser who killed my brother.
I lost my faith in the justice system that day.

He was 18 when charged with my brother's death, a moment of "poor judgment" as the courts ruled it. He received a slap on the wrist and was set loose on the world again, regardless of his rap sheet, his obvious lack of personal control or sound decision-making skills… and because of this, a young woman lost her life - a young woman in the wrong place at the wrong time, celebrating a friend's birthday. Now 21, I think, he will be locked in a box for the rest of his life where not only will we, as tax-payers, support him for as long as he stays alive but where he will serve no purpose and do no good. So has anything good come from this?

Perhaps a sense of conclusion, knowing that he can't hurt anyone else, a sense of relief for my mother to know the man responsible for her son's death is behind bars….

What is the point of prison anyway? It takes people off the streets and provides some of them with better lives than they had outside - is this a punishment? They have no purpose, no goal, they give nothing back to society, they merely drain our resources. So not only did he kill my brother and murder this poor girl, but now I GET TO PAY FOR HIM TO STAY ALIVE AND GIVE NOTHING BACK. Riddle me that, Batman. HOW IS THAT JUSTICE?!

Is there not a better way? Some form of contribution they should be required to make? How do you make up for a life? For two? Jail isn't Justice.