Tragedy at University of Idaho

[Zach]

Originally Posted by Phrozen Sands

Then what’s the point of saying life in prison without parole? That’s really stupid and makes no sense. No parole should mean no parole.

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Right?? I mean, that’s literally what I’ve always thought too. Like, if you say “life without parole”, that should be it. Period. No fine print, no “well technically, if the moon is in retrograde and a governor 30 years from now gets sentimental…” uhh… yeah. No.

But apparently, there’s always this tiny back door left open, like clemency or a pardon, even if it’s super rare. It’s more of a legal technicality than a realistic option, but still. I think they do it to give the justice system flexibility in case something comes to light, like wrongful conviction? Maybe? I don’t really know exactly. But let’s be honest, it also makes it feel like even the most final sounding sentences have a “maybe” clause. Know what I mean? And for victims families? That’s gotta be brutal.

So yeah… I agree with you, Phrozen. No parole should mean no parole. Not “mostly no” with a legal asterisk.

“Justice” in America depends less on what’s right, and more on what can be proven and collected. It makes sense but doesn’t make sense too, depending on the crime.

You’re right, but technically there’s a difference between sentencing guidelines and constitutional authority.

Governors and presidents have clemency power, and that includes pardons and commutations, like you mentioned. But it exists to correct injustices like if new evidence surfaces years later, or if someone was clearly sentenced unfairly under outdated laws. It’s not about being sentimental (though that happens), it’s about preserving a failsafe in the justice system.

You’re also right that it can feel like a “maybe clause” for sentences that should feel final. And that’s hard, especially for victims families. But from a legal standpoint, the idea is no system run by people will ever be perfect, so we build in rare exceptions just in case.

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Anyone else think BK dodged the bullet like I do?

I don’t think he dodged the bullet, I think he jumped right in front of it. I get that you believe in the death penalty, but I’d rather be dead than spend life in prison. And I don’t say that lightly.

When you strip someone of freedom, you’re not just taking away physical movement, you’re erasing their sense of purpose, privacy, and identity. As a school teacher, I’ve spent my life believing in growth, contribution, and connection. Prison is the antithesis of all of that. It’s a system built to contain, not to heal. That’s why I don’t know why they’re called “corrections” or “correctional facilities”. People come out worse than they were when they went in.

You wake up in a cage, go to sleep in a cage, and every decision — what you eat, when you speak, where you stand belongs to someone else. You become a number, not a name. For some people, that’s survivable. For me, that’s not life. That’s existing inside a slow death.

I believe in accountability, no doubt. But if I were ever in a position where my actions earned me life behind bars, I’d rather face the final consequence than live out my days in a concrete box. I’ll take the lethal injection. A couple of jolts, a few quick spasms, and I’m free.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by Zach

(snipped) I’d rather face the final consequence than live out my days in a concrete box. I’ll take the lethal injection. A couple of jolts, a few quick spasms, and I’m free.

I hope that, should I decide to flip out, I do so in a state that offers the firing squad.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by Zach

I don’t think he dodged the bullet, I think he jumped right in front of it. I get that you believe in the death penalty, but I’d rather be dead than spend life in prison. And I don’t say that lightly.

When you strip someone of freedom, you’re not just taking away physical movement, you’re erasing their sense of purpose, privacy, and identity. As a school teacher, I’ve spent my life believing in growth, contribution, and connection. Prison is the antithesis of all of that. It’s a system built to contain, not to heal. That’s why I don’t know why they’re called “corrections” or “correctional facilities”. People come out worse than they were when they went in.

You wake up in a cage, go to sleep in a cage, and every decision — what you eat, when you speak, where you stand belongs to someone else. You become a number, not a name. For some people, that’s survivable. For me, that’s not life. That’s existing inside a slow death.

I believe in accountability, no doubt. But if I were ever in a position where my actions earned me life behind bars, I’d rather face the final consequence than live out my days in a concrete box. I’ll take the lethal injection. A couple of jolts, a few quick spasms, and I’m free.

Honestly? If I were in his shoes, I think the real question would be whether I can live with myself.

Some people choose life in prison because they want to cling to hope, even if it’s just the hope of staying in control. They want to be heard, to matter, to keep playing the game from inside the walls. And for some, that’s enough.

But if I knew I was guilty and had no path to redemption, life in prison would really feel like a slow erosion. The silence, the repetition, the awareness of what I’d done, it would eventually hollow me out. I think I’d choose the death penalty not to escape, but because it would feel more honest.

Either way, I don’t think there’s peace for someone like that. Just different versions of suffering. I think he’s going to be away from the general public. And then again, he could be a recluse and be fine living that way. Know what I mean?

[PrettyBoy]

Same cycle. Same society. Kohberger will go from “incel” with a knife to inmate with a fan club.

[Phrozen Sands]

Originally Posted by honeychile

I hope that, should I decide to flip out, I do so in a state that offers the firing squad.

I didn’t know that way of execution was still a thing.

Originally Posted by PrettyBoy

Same cycle. Same society. Kohberger will go from “incel” with a knife to inmate with a fan club.

That goes without saying. Isn’t that wild?

[Zach]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Honestly? If I were in his shoes, I think the real question would be whether I can live with myself.

Some people choose life in prison because they want to cling to hope, even if it’s just the hope of staying in control. They want to be heard, to matter, to keep playing the game from inside the walls. And for some, that’s enough.

But if I knew I was guilty and had no path to redemption, life in prison would really feel like a slow erosion. The silence, the repetition, the awareness of what I’d done, it would eventually hollow me out. I think I’d choose the death penalty not to escape, but because it would feel more honest.

Either way, I don’t think there’s peace for someone like that. Just different versions of suffering. I think he’s going to be away from the general public. And then again, he could be a recluse and be fine living that way. Know what I mean?

I get why you’d think a recluse might do okay in isolation, but prison isolation isn’t the same as just liking your own space. The human brain is hardwired for connection. Even introverts need some level of social interaction to keep their mental health stable. Without it, things start breaking down. Quick.

Studies I’ve read show that inmates in solitary confinement are almost 7 times more likely to harm themselves compared to the general prison population. I saw in a 2014 report from the American Journal of Public Health found that 53% of prison suicides occur in solitary, even though those inmates make up less than 5% of the population. That’s not a coincidence either.

And being high-profile like Kohberger, that’s not protection, it’s a target pretty much. It turns him into a trophy. Remember Jeffrey Dahmer? He was housed in a special unit at Columbia Correctional in Wisconsin, not general pop, and still got killed by another inmate in a work detail. Whitey Bulger, same thing, was murdered within hours of arriving at Hazelton prison. In both cases, it didn’t matter how secure the facility was. Word travels fast, and dudes serving life don’t care about consequences.

So yeah, even if Kohberger’s a recluse, it won’t protect him from the psychological toll or the danger. You can’t opt out of being human just because you prefer quiet. The system breaks people slowly. And someone like him, he’ll wear that target for the rest of his life. Should’ve taken the long trial route to get the death penalty.

[carnation]

Having taught in a jail for 20 years, I can confirm what Zach just said.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by Phrozen Sands

I didn’t know that way of execution was still a thing.

South Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah. Indiana is considering adding it.

[Phrozen Sands]

Originally Posted by Zach

I get why you’d think a recluse might do okay in isolation, but prison isolation isn’t the same as just liking your own space. The human brain is hardwired for connection. Even introverts need some level of social interaction to keep their mental health stable. Without it, things start breaking down. Quick.

Studies I’ve read show that inmates in solitary confinement are almost 7 times more likely to harm themselves compared to the general prison population. I saw in a 2014 report from the American Journal of Public Health found that 53% of prison suicides occur in solitary, even though those inmates make up less than 5% of the population. That’s not a coincidence either.

And being high-profile like Kohberger, that’s not protection, it’s a target pretty much. It turns him into a trophy. Remember Jeffrey Dahmer? He was housed in a special unit at Columbia Correctional in Wisconsin, not general pop, and still got killed by another inmate in a work detail. Whitey Bulger, same thing, was murdered within hours of arriving at Hazelton prison. In both cases, it didn’t matter how secure the facility was. Word travels fast, and dudes serving life don’t care about consequences.

So yeah, even if Kohberger’s a recluse, it won’t protect him from the psychological toll or the danger. You can’t opt out of being human just because you prefer quiet. The system breaks people slowly. And someone like him, he’ll wear that target for the rest of his life. Should’ve taken the long trial route to get the death penalty.

This is what’s crazy to me. Dahmer’s killer said he killed him because he didn’t like the fact that he was considered a murderer. I’m thinking how much sense does that make? Murder is murder. If you murder somebody, why would you care that another dude in prison like you murdered 20 people? I also thought that Dahmer was in solitary for a minute, then released into the general prison population based on his own request? I could be wrong, but that’s what I thought. I don’t remember him being killed in solitary.

How much time do you think Kohberger will have in prison?

Originally Posted by carnation

Having taught in a jail for 20 years, I can confirm what Zach just said.

This right here proves you don’t know what folks have seen or been exposed to on GC in their careers.

Originally Posted by honeychile

South Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah. Indiana is considering adding it.

Damn! For real? All this time I thought that was a back in the day thing like hangings.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by Phrozen Sands

Damn! For real? All this time I thought that was a back in the day thing like hangings.

Actually, I think some states do have hanging as an option. Give me quick, hot metal poisoning any time!

LOL! I sound like I'm planning an execution! Trust me, y'all are safe!

EDITED TO ADD: Carnation could tell you some stories!

[Phrozen Sands]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Actually, I think some states do have hanging as an option. Give me quick, hot metal poisoning any time!

LOL! I sound like I'm planning an execution! Trust me, y'all are safe!

EDITED TO ADD: Carnation could tell you some stories!

See y’all? I told you honeychile opened up a can of whoop ass on pledges back in her day LOL!

I’m about to look it up to see if hangings are still a thing. If it’s an option, why would somebody choose that one?

Alright, Carnation, the spotlight is on you. Share the stories.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by Phrozen Sands

See y’all? I told you honeychile opened up a can of whoop ass on pledges back in her day LOL!

I’m about to look it up to see if hangings are still a thing. If it’s an option, why would somebody choose that one?

BWAA HAA HAA about the pledges!

New Hampshire still has hanging on the books, but they're also abolished the death penalty, so it's a moot point.

[Phrozen Sands]

Originally Posted by honeychile

BWAA HAA HAA about the pledges!

New Hampshire still has hanging on the books, but they're also abolished the death penalty, so it's a moot point.

That’s what I read too. But I think it still applies to anyone sentenced to capital punishment before the state repealed its death penalty, unless I read it wrong. I wonder how that would work.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Anyone else think BK dodged the bullet like I do?

He dodged the death penalty. Personally, I think I'd rather be dead than in prison for the rest of my life though.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

I totally get the urge to respond, believe me. But honestly, she’s not worth it. She’s not here to have a real conversation.

The mods already asked for less back and forth, and I’d rather respect that than let her drag things down more than she already has. Some people honestly thrive on getting reactions, and silence tends to frustrate them more than anything we could say.

As far as I’m concerned, her posts here discredit themselves. No response needed.

Come join me and Phrozen instead, where the logic lives.

You’re right. This case really got to me; it really makes my heart hurt.