Thursday, July 07, 2005
Brent J. Brents: 1,319 Years in Prison
Brent J. Brents, the serial rapist who terrified Denver this year, was sentenced to 1,319 years in prison. In what has to be seen as a tremendously rational moment by the judge presiding over the case, the idea of rehabilitation was soundly dismissed.
Rehabilitation is out of the question for Brents, the judge said. “You must simply be contained, kept away from society as long as the court can do that to make sure you are never free again.”
Officials said they believed it was the longest sentence ever imposed by a Colorado judge.
The only good in the case--when you can work past the violent attacks, the theft, the rapes, and the indiscriminate nature of his assaults--is that Brents did plead guilty instead of forcing a drawn out process that would have kept the psychological wounds raw much longer than necessary.
(0)
Comments & Trackbacks
It would be great if they could somehow keep his old decrepit body alive and sustained and conscious for the entire sentence. Imagine the torture of 1319 years and not being able to just die… now that’s the way to treat a rapist. That hand in hand with slow castration with dull, rusty implements
I’m surprised that the terms are consecutive. Usually such a long sentence is served concurrently.
My gut still tells me he would have been a good candidate for the death penalty…
The death penalty is absolutely appropriate for cases like this.
I wouldn’t mind if the death penalty was only used once every few years, and only for extremely egregious cases like this one. But it is just such a person who should no longer have the opportunity to hurt anyone every again.
Call it the Hannibal Lecter argument.
Death is too good for people like this
See, this is why I’m totally anti-DP. 1319 years is a death sentence. Plus, it’ll cost us less than the appeals process of the DP.
Matt,
No it’s not: he’ll most likely live a long, natural life. And if he decides to kill a guard or two on the way, gee, I guess that’s just too bad.
Like I said: the Hannibal Lecter argument. While he may have been a fictional character, there are certainly people like that out there, who are no longer bound by normal concepts of behavior and punishment.
You know what? I’m willing to risk the dead guards (I don’t think being a prison guard is even top ten in most dangerous jobs) to keep from executing the innocent.
And yes, this is a death sentence. Prison is not a, “long, natural,” life. Not natural, anyway, and probably longer than normal.
Who are we kidding, anyway? Serial rapists are tortured or murdered in the pen. Even criminals have wives and daughters.
We can hope.
Agreed.
The cost of keeping him in prison wouldnt be less than the DP appeals if they just shoot his ass in the courtroom.
Hmmm, what I want: for him to be castrated.
But what I want and what should be done are two different things. We all know I am anti-DP (like how you put that Matt), so....