I'm not sure even the current definition of felony is deserving. There's a lot of things one can do in one's youth or in the heat of passion under extraordinary circumstances that give absolutely no indication of what future years will be like.

Nearly my entire high school class used illegal drugs of one type or another or consumed alcohol illegally. I'm sure all of us at one time or another have driven drunk or allowed our speed to become excessive enough to be considered an arrestable offense. I'm not condoning the behavior but just pointing out that a felony conviction often simply means you got caught doing what many others around you have gotten away with. Obviously there's some lines that get crossed when violence is involved but there's some remarkable turnarounds by individuals.

I just saw a bio on TV about Mark Wahlberg who I recently have been admiring for his depth of talent in acting. I had no clue about his early life but it wasn't pretty. The man was basically a gang thug with multiple convictions for kicking the snot out of people. I don't think I could vote him into office knowing that now and I'll have mixed emotions when I see him on screen but obviously there's been a catharsis in his life and I would assume he's a changed man in many ways. His trigger back then was a degeneration of his family while he was still young and reliant upon them for his direction. Once an adult and independent we can probably assume that particular trigger will never again occur.

Techie, you probably know the story of James Hamm here in Arizona. As a teenager or young adult he was involved in an armed robbery where a man was killed. I believe drugs were involved at the time. He was convicted of 1st degree murder and sentenced to prison. Hamm was an exemplary convict and studied law while behind bars and supposedly did a lot of good with his fellow inmates. He paid exactly the price society asked of him and was repentent of his crimes. I don't want to debate the right or wrong of his sentence. I'm not even sure what the right answer is there. I'm just saying that, in this one case, the system seemed to work exactly as it was designed which is a rehabilitation of a life gone wrong. Hamm was eventually released and passed the bar exam with high marks. To this date however he is unable to become certified as a lawyer and works instead as a legal aid trying to help rehabilitate other inmates.

I'm not sure Hamm should be allowed to be a lawyer but I'm divided on the issue. His experience with the legal and prison system would make him a valuable asset in both defense and prosecutorial positions.

When does a sentence end for a felony? If the answer is never then why isn't everyone simply sentenced to life for any felony conviction? How can we expect real success in any form of rehabilitation if a released inmate who has fully served their sentence without problems can't escape their past misdeed?

I don't think this is a black and white issue.

Art