Quote:
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?
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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.
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