R. Kelly verdict sensible

Mary Mitchell’s Sun Times column lamenting singer R. Kelly’s having to serve only 31 years instead of 49 is not another slight against his victims. At 56, R. Kelly may well expire before his 30 year sentence expires when he would be 86.

Mitchell takes umbrage Federal Judge Harry Leinenweber ruled his additional 20 year sentence for child pornography be served concurrently, not consecutively, with his 30 year sentence on racketereering. This tacks on just one year instead of 19. Mitchell assumes, without evidence, that his victims will be outraged Kelly will not surely die in prison.

That is not justice. That is simply vengeance, however understandable a victim may feel that way. Yes, some will.

But Mitchell forgets the purpose of the criminal justice system is to provide justice to victims and all society by prosecuting evildoers; then ensuring they remain incarcerated until they are no longer a threat to society. It must also send a message to potential evildoers of the same monstrous crimes that such behavior will result in their long term removal from society.

The R. Kelly verdict achieved all 3 purposes. The victims know their abuser will have lost all of his remaining healthy years to a prison cell. Future young women will never by harmed by R. Kelly. No R. Kelly wannabe will view the verdict of 31 years as worth the risk of following his mentor’s path to engage his criminal sexual impulses.

There is one more consideration in the R. Kelly case…restorative justice. The criminal justice system should prepare R. Kelly for the rehabilitation he’ll need to possibly re-enter society many years from now. Every inmate, no matter how heinous their crimes, should not be squandering our precious tax dollars as a feeble octogenarian or older in a jail cell. That treasure should be used for rehabilitation for the hundreds of thousands of R. Kellys essentially serving life so they can eventually free up their prison cell for younger, infinitely more dangerous evildoers.