Funked, there is a marked difference between how prisoners are treated in the US and in affluent European countries.
Here, we say that being robbed of freedom is the punishment. Living in a toejamhole being constantly raped or threatened isn't. That Americans cannot or will not enforce the law within their own prisons is a shame. Someone once said that a country should be judged by how the prison population is treated. Interesting. I totally disagree with the US 'they deserve to get anally raped every day' attitude - even if it is a tacit acknowledgement. It shouldn't be there at all - a society is supposed to be better than the lowest scum it contains.
There is also a much larger emphasis on rehabilitation where possible. And sentences aren't nearly as tough.
And so far, we haven't needed stricter sentences. I believe the law should be augmented, so that people like Lundin (killed his girlfriend and her two kids, cut them up, disposed of them) would never be out again. Well, with Lundin that wouldn't have been an issue if the US had taken care of him when he killed his mother when he lived there.
Anyway, the Danish society has no need for law such as three offenses = automatic imprisonment til you're dead. We're getting by without and crime rate is relatively low despite humane treatment of prisoners and relatively short sentences.
But it cannot handle extreme cases, like terrorists or serial murderers. They can be kept indefinitely if they are judged to be mentally insane, but not otherwise. So in these cases, a special sentence would be welcomed.
Lunding will be out in 12 years. He's killed four so far, including his own mother. Think he'll stop?
