The system isn't broken, but rather that Californians are awful. The three strikes law, the most oppressive in the country, works exactly as designed. And California's voted for it by referendum by a 72:28 margin.
http://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_36,_Changes_in...
The entire thing, including the original story the parent comment, is Kafka-esque. We need massive prison reform.
Victim's rights are such a sham. I don't want to attack victims, it's not their fault most of the time, but nobody would think a court would be fair if the jury were comprised of victims because victims are inherently impartial due to their suffering. Victims are unreasonable, and punishment of the offender does nothing to undo the harm they've done so I think instead of considering victim rights we should consider what's best for society instead, which probably involves rehabilitation. I'm not sure that except in the most extreme circumstances someone should ever go to prison for 15+ years. After 15 years in jail, with focus on rehabilitation, I doubt most would go back to crime. No you wont get punishment and suffering out of the offender for the crime, but that's a stupid thing to want in the first place.
The people in this country most oppressed by crime are not well-off conservative white people. Crime is a scourge of low-income communities, and most of it is violent.
Perhaps both propositions could be true? A system of government that brings out the worst in its citizens might not be the best one they could have.
Maybe people are sadistic at best.
If those people got their moral education from the system they then vote in, that would be a broken system...