Ancient Romans Considered Life In Prison Inhumane

Proverbs 12:10, “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”

This video is very interesting, about punishments in ancient Rome.

Here's What It Was Like For Prisoners In Ancient Rome

Incarcerating citizens for life was unheard of in ancient times...

Wealthy Romans and government officials grappled with how to confine individuals ethically. Figures like emperors and jurists criticized imprisonment as a form of punishment, suggesting it should only serve to keep individuals until their trial or penalty was decided. Execution was common, especially for serious offenses.

During this period, provincial governors were restricted from condemning anyone to life imprisonment. Prominent Romans, if punished, often faced house arrest or opted for exile instead. Overall, this led to a growing network of holding areas, which included underground dungeons, private creditor-owned jails, and even family homes with makeshift cells. The increase in places of confinement reflected a society grappling with complex legal and social changes. SOURCE

As of early 2020, there were 1,465 people serving Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP) sentences in the United States for crimes committed before turning age 18. This number has been decreasing as more states eliminate such sentences. I think such cruel sentences should be outlawed completely! I wish we'd get rid of prisons entirely. God never intended for humans to be locked in cages, which the good Lord didn't even intend for animals.

That being said, although the ancient Romans didn't incarcerate citizens for life, they did impose cruel forms of punishment. For example: Poena cullei (Latin, 'penalty of the sack') under Roman law was a type of death penalty imposed on a subject who had been found guilty of parricide (murdering one's parents). The punishment consisted of being sewn up in a leather sack, with an assortment of live animals including a dog, snake, monkey, and a chicken or rooster, and then being thrown into water (the alternative was being thrown to the beasts in the arena). Can you imagine?

The penalty for adultery was that the Roman government would confiscate part of your land and wealth. I sure wish we had harsh punishments for adultery in the United States today. The state of Maryland mocks God's laws, imposing a mere $10 penalty for the crime of adultery. Proverbs 14:9, “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.”

The Unfair Prosecution Of Daniel Holtzclaw

I was reading recently about a former Oklahoma police offer named Daniel Holtzclaw. The sad story caught my attention because Daniel was born in 1986 and grew up on the island of Guam, where I also lived for 17 years (2004-2021). Daniel allegedly abused his position and authority as a law enforcement officer, sexually taking advantage of prostitutes and African American women as a trusted officer of the law. Daniel was convicted by a jury in court. If guilty, which it appears that he is, he certainly deserves to be punished, but 263 years in prison? No way! The average time served in prison for murder in the United States is 17.5 years. What they did to Daniel was politically motivated in my opinion. It is obvious.

I much better like Norway's penal system. Norway's maximum custodial sentence is 21 years, with life imprisonment applicable only under military law. For crimes against humanity, the maximum sentence can be extended to 30 years, but traditional life imprisonment is not used in the civilian penal code. Something is broken in our American court system! They might as well have given Daniel Holtzclaw 263,000 years in prison, leaving him no hope. That is cruel and inhumane. The guy never murdered anyone. He allegedly took advantage of prostitutes who were drug addicts, which hardly puts him in the same boat as a killer.

In the state of Oklahoma a life sentence is considered 38 years. The state of Oklahoma effectively gave Daniel Holtzclaw seven life sentences (263 years) for the crime of rape, which is cruel and unusual punishment. The average murderer in America only serves 17.5 years! They gave him the equivalent prison sentence as if he had murdered 15 people.

Child Rapist Gets Probation In Oklahoma

In February of 2018, a convicted child rapist in Oklahoma was sentenced to 15 years… of probation. Benjamin Lawrence Petty pled guilty to first degree rape and forcible sodomy of a 13 year old girl following his arrest. Petty, who is blind, was issued the light sentence by Judge Wallace Coppedge partially on the basis of his disability. An online petition to remove Judge Wallace received over 60,000 signatures from outraged citizens. Judge Wallace, however, remains on the bench. SOURCE

What is wrong with the justice system in Oklahoma? You crucify one criminal by showing no mercy, but insanely set the next one free? Although I would never exonerate a guilty criminal, I do believe that Daniel is the victim of a politically motivated racial agenda, since all of his alleged victims were black females. The cowardly state's attorney general and politicians were more worried about Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton showing up at the courthouse than they were about giving the victims and Daniel justice. You know it's true!

“There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.” ―Montesquieu (1689–1755)

This quote highlights how tyranny can disguise itself as a legitimate authority, making it more oppressive. Daniel was 29 years old when sentenced. He never should have received more than 20 years time in prison at most, which the victims I am sure would have been content with. But 263 years is cruel and unusual inhumane punishment by an out of control abusive injustice system that wanted to make an example of the poor guy.

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” ―C.S. Lewis (1898–1963)

That's the only reason why officer Derek Chauvin is rotting in a Minnesota prison, for simply doing exactly what his official training taught him to do, by putting his foot on the perpetrator's neck. That man ought not be in prison! He lost his wife, his home, his wealth and his life. George Floyd passed a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenient store (which is why the police were called in the first place), he was high on an assortment of illegal drugs, and he resisted arrest by refusing to get into the police car. What is wrong with our country today? Derek Chauvin, like Daniel Holtzclaw, are both victims of racial pressure upon our legal system. You couldn't pay me enough money to become a police officer in this insane American society today.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE