I stand rather favorably toward a hypothetical justice system that is restorative and rehabilitative. Retributive “justice” is just vengefulness with extra steps. Also I want to mindfully avoid simply leaving what I said before as a fallacious appeal-to-nature; just because our ancestors developed the instinct to ostracize Problem Individuals does not, I acknowledge, mean that this behavior is automatically “correct”; just that it happened to work. Selective pressures within an environment do not produce a set of what is right, but a set of what is left. To restate with less symbolism: not choosing what is best or what is most correct, but whatever worked ‘enough’ to evade extinction.

Preface stated, I agree with you that prison is a better alternative, objectively, than simply leaving someone for dead as i believe you were implying with your first reply, and also agree that it would be for the better if supervised detention for the remainder of one’s lifespan were the ultimate conclusion for situations where an incarcerated individual cannot be rehabilitated.

But at that point…? I think I would want to even go so far as to argue that maybe it shouldn’t even be regarded as “a punishment” anymore. Punishment and penance are instructional tools (of admittedly dubious efficacy) but if it’s already been determined that a given individual is not sufficiently capable of being taught to be a constructive contributor to society… Punishment is wasted upon them. Their removal so as to protect others is still necessary, but making it a painful ordeal honestly no longer serves any use or purpose.

Now, don’t get me wrong, even I still feel a pang of anticipatory schadenfreude at the thought of a “bad person” suffering, but I recognize it’s not a productive use of mental energy. I’ve come to realize that reinforcing those particular neural pathways is rather deleterious to my suitability towards my own participation in community, for that matter, and hypothesize it would be foolish were I to assume otherwise–to assume that what injures me will not invite anyone else.

I accept I’m a hypocrite for saying “punishment is kind of useless actually” while actively craving to see the corpofascist pedophile cabal in charge suffer grievously as a consequence of the harm they’ve done to us all and inflicted upon some of us more than others especially… But recognizing my own hypocrisy is a necessary step in attempting to control a bad habit.

Despite how my immature emotionally volatile aspects desire to “make them pay”, i also understand how indulging those volatile emotions is harmful to me and those close to me. I believe it would in fact be for the best if permanent supervised detention were the ultimate cap on what a state is allowed to do to a sapient being. Even though I feel said volatile emotionality opposing the idea with vehemence, on a rational level i recognize it may be for the better if we got rid of the “death penalty” and merely offered medically supervised elective euthanasia at most for those who look at the writing on the wall, recognize they will never live free again, and decide they’d rather opt out of existing than exist like this…

I do believe a better humanity would safely imprison dangerous individuals rather than outright execute them because at the end of the day it’s not even ABOUT them or how they feel or how they are treated. All that really matters is that good faith people can go about their lives without being put in danger