The seeds for this book were sown when I watched a documentary about an unusual trial. My memory of it is hazy, but from what I can recall, the accused was a woman who had a criminal history and was involved in an armed robbery where she shot and killed a security guard. The robbers were never apprehended and the case remained unsolved. Some time later, she left the life of crime, started working, got married, and may have had children.

Several years later, she gave herself up to the police for the murder that she committed during the armed robbery. Apparently, she could no longer live with herself for having committed such an act. She was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment, or thereabout.

I remember watching this and wondering whether this was really the best that we could do. Deterrence was not an issue - she had been living a clean life for several years prior to giving herself up to the police. Rehabilitation was likewise of no relevance. The only reason to hand down such a heavy sentence was retribution. It was understandable, but hardly constructive. I couldn't help but wonder whether there was a better way to handle this.

This book is my attempt to find a better way...