Was this a low security prison? Not all prisons are maximum security lockdown types. Aside from the loss of freedom, it might not be so bad. Not wanting to lose my freedom would still keep me on the straight and narrow.

I believe restitution is a good idea if you are looking for proportional punishment. Restitution would have to be enforced to be effective. Spam demonstrably costs: money, time, bandwidth, and some spam does damage. That's theft. It's like telemarketing. I pay for the phone for my benefit, not theirs. The e-mail is for my convenience, not theirs. Even the unsolicited snailmail junk I get costs time, handling, and disposal. I'd like to bill them ALL. I'd like to charge a fee for all unsolicited contacts coming to my home or place of business. Maybe I'd waive the fee if I liked what somebody had to say.

Oh, and to those who think there is no comparison between death and spam-type-theft: premeditated murder is the ultimate theft -- of something that cannot be returned. Unpremeditated or accidental death, while still grievous, isn't theft so much as irreparable loss.

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