Hi Mac,
This won't offer much comfort, but having worked with convicts and ex-convicts, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Although the sentence seems trivial compared to the consequences of his actions, he now has, and probably always will have a felony conviction with jail time on his record. While he will be out of jail in less than five years (no one these days serves the max, unless they really mess up or have a history of running or escaping), that conviction will follow him the rest of his life especially when it comes to applying for jobs and so on. He has in fact, automatically locked himself out of several positions including all the bonded trades. Also keep in mind that time in state jails is almost never "easy time" especially for a guy with no street smarts and no prior convictions. The majority of "square johns" in jail I've met with, spend their first few months in a state of constant fear, some of them with good reason. For instance in our local county lock-up, you better be either tough enough to protect yourself (and that needs to be plenty tough) or hooked up or you are essentially prey to the bigger fish. Having your food stolen on a regular basis is just the beginning of the torment. It's not unheard of for a man to go into prison for the first time to serve a two or three year term and come out with a death sentence.
Either way, Martha Stewart's experience is definitely not the norm.
What I hope will offer more comfort is that fact that because there is a just God, although justice is never entirely served on this side of the veil there is perfect justice on the other side and there is a judgment that no man will ever escape from.
- SEAGOON
