Part of the problem in the US is that it is the CRIMINAL Justice System, not the VICTIM Justice System. Thus all of the emphasis is on whether the criminal's rights are protected, not the victim's. Too often the ones who perpetrate the worst crimes have no sense of moral compass. The criminal may intellectually know of the difference between right and wrong, but don't care. They consider that little nicety to be someone else's concern. Thus WHEN they get out; because most of them do, they simply go back to doing it again. This is a growing problem; this behavior is learned at a young age by those whose parents (or parent) did not instill it in while they were very young. Thus there is no mental connection between bad behavior and the societal consequences that will result. The revolving door keeps spinning; more and more enter the system. The victim is left injured with no recompense; worse after the perpetrator is released he may return to finish the job but being even more pissed off than before. Again, how do you RE-habiltate someone who was never habilitated to begin with? The worse of these are the pedophiles who have the added twist of hormonal pressure as well as the criminal desire. The recidivism rate for child molesters is in the high ninety percentages, likewise high for rapists. Rape is a crime of violence, rather than just sex, but the sexual aspect feeds the hormones that fuel the rage. A vicious circle that is inflicted upon the unsuspecting victim. But she has little opportunity to find closure short of executing the perpetrator. Castration as a part of the punishment is feasible; but unconstitutional. Ted Bundy blamed porn for his crimes, some people actually believed him. He was a sociopath, a congenital liar, a self obsessed egomaniac, yet people believed his bullshit about it all being the fault of reading the Playboy mags he found under his father's bed. I agree with Ian - at that point they have forfeited all "human" rights; they have abandoned their humanity. They are rabid. There is some evidence that public executions will turn around youthful offenders who are both aware and intelligent enough to recognize that they don't want to end up there. It also feeds the prurient interests and excites the mentally twisted who wish to have their 15 minutes of fame by performing in a similar role. Two legged animals are remarkably intriguing.