The last true hermit

[santaman2000]

I was referring to those people who have been jailed for life on the basis of "three strikes and your out" for relatively minor misdemeanours in the scheme of things....

Doesn't happen that way. The "three strikes" rule doesn't equate a life sentence; it only elevates it to the next higher class. Three low misdemeanors would elevate to the next higher class misdemeanor until eventually reaching the lowest class felony and three lower class felonies would only elevate to the next highest class felony. There are (in most states) three classes of each for a total of six classes of criminal behavior. For someone to get a life sentence on the three strikes rule, they would have had to have committed three separate class 2 felonies (a felony class which in and of itself warrants 10 to 15 years sentences per conviction)

 

[GGTBod]

Back on the subject of true hermits is everyone filled with awe and respect for the exploits of Dick Proenneke?

 

[Laurentius]

Well whatever, I think this is escaping the point, which is whether it is appropriate for a guy who has had no contact with other human beings for decades, no recent experience of the everday give and take of sharing space to be placed in a prison environment. I would say never mind any guilt or otherwise, what he needs is some form of rehabilitation, perhaps a spell of re-accustoming him to society before he is given a prison sentence, not that he should never serve one.

 

[santaman2000]

....... Also I do not know of any other country in the world that regularly passes 99 year jail sentences.....

It's not "regular" here either. The prescribed sentences are as follows:
Misdemeanors (any class) = $1000 fine or less and/or incarceration of less than one year in the county jail
Class I Felony = Fine of up to $5000 and/or incarceration in the state penitentiary for between one and five years
Class II Felony = Fine of $5001 to $10,000 and/or incarceration in the state penitentiary for between five and ten years
Class III Felony = Fine of $10,000 and/or incarceration in the state penitentiary of between ten and twenty-five years
Capitol Felony = incarceration in the state penitentiary for between twenty-five years to life or execution.

It's conceivable that somebody could be serving an ultimate sentence of 99 years by being convicted of three separate crimes (in the course of a single event0 and being sentenced to serve the sentences consecutively rather than concurrently.

And yes, I've also "heard of" those infamous 99 year sentences; but I've never seen one given, nor have I ever seen it in any penal code of any state.

 

[FoxyRick]

perhaps a spell of re-accustoming him to society before he is given a prison sentence

Re-accustomising him to society might be as bad as prison for him (or worse), depending on why he left it to begin with. It's all pure speculation though.

 

[santaman2000]

Well whatever, I think this is escaping the point, which is whether it is appropriate for a guy who has had no contact with other human beings for decades, no recent experience of the everday give and take of sharing space to be placed in a prison environment. I would say never mind any guilt or otherwise, what he needs is some form of rehabilitation, perhaps a spell of re-accustoming him to society before he is given a prison sentence, not that he should never serve one.

Perhaps. But there's another conundrum. He would be unlikely to stay in any treatment facility voluntarily. And involuntary facilities with confinement are rarely if ever much different from a prison environment. Add to that the reality that a person can only be involuntarily committed if they present a danger to themselves or others. Theft of unoccupied places (residences and camps) isn't exactly a "danger." Not legally anyway.

 

[Laurentius]

Back on the subject of true hermits is everyone filled with awe and respect for the exploits of Dick Proenneke?

Never otherwise but for every Dick Proenneke there is perhaps a trail of Chris McCandlesses.

Anyway there used to be a Hermit in a woods in Coventry, Mr Tuesday, I posted about him before, a guy who took to the woods for his own reasons but was never a bother to anybody.

 

[FoxyRick]

Back on the subject of true hermits is everyone filled with awe and respect for the exploits of Dick Proenneke?

Does seem a more interesting and less controversial hermit...

 

[GGTBod]

Bushcrafter extraordinaire and a truly successful hermit compared to a homeless thief with mental problems, no contest in my book

 

[santaman2000]

Re-accustomising him to society might be as bad as prison for him (or worse), depending on why he left it to begin with. It's all pure speculation though.

At his age and with the majority of his life being spent alone, I suspect it would be an exercise in futility as well.

 

[British Red]

Re-accustomising him to society might be as bad as prison for him (or worse), depending on why he left it to begin with. It's all pure speculation though.

He doesn't want to "re-accustomise to society" he says so - but he is forced to by the terms of his release. Still I'm sure some do gooder will try to force him into a jelly mould of a productive citizen.

The best suggestion I read was for a kickstarter programme to buy the guy a few acres and a few years worth of food and let him live his own way.

Doubtless some unqualified amateur psychologist will have lots of reasons why he shouldn't be allowed to live legally in the way he chooses (as opposed to excusing his illegal behaviour)

 

[santaman2000]

He doesn't want to "re-accustomise to society" he says so - but he is forced to by the terms of his release. Still I'm sure some do gooder will try to force him into a jelly mould of a productive citizen.

The best suggestion I read was for a kickstarter programme to buy the guy a few acres and a few years worth of food and let him live his own way.

Doubtless some unqualified amateur psychologist will have lots of reasons why he shouldn't be allowed to live legally in the way he chooses (as opposed to excusing his illegal behaviour)

Take away the acts of theft and I'd be happy to see him allowed to live as he chooses.

 

[FoxyRick]

The best suggestion I read was for a kickstarter programme to buy the guy a few acres and a few years worth of food and let him live his own way.

Hey, I'd go for that for myself!

 

[British Red]

Take away the acts of theft and I'd be happy to see him allowed to live as he chooses.

Me too. It does not excuse his criminality in my eyes (or his for those who dislike my standpoint).

He has served his time and, if he can find a legal way to live this rest of his life without being forced to engage with the large numbers of people who are a waste of skin, I can see the attraction and wish him well.

 

[JonathanD]

The best suggestion I read was for a kickstarter programme to buy the guy a few acres and a few years worth of food and let him live his own way.

Like dropping him off in the middle of the Amazon.

Society doesn't allow us to live as nature intended anymore. It's a side effect of civilisation. We can't go back, and as such, this may also prevent us from moving forward. The irony.

 

[santaman2000]

Well whatever, I think this is escaping the point, which is whether it is appropriate for a guy who has had no contact with other human beings for decades, no recent experience of the everday give and take of sharing space to be placed in a prison environment......

I'd bet dollars to donuts that any prison/jail time was in solitaire.

 

[FoxyRick]

I'd bet dollars to donuts that any prison/jail time was in solitaire.

Likely with a suicide watch as well.

 

[Swallow]

Like dropping him off in the middle of the Amazon.

Society doesn't allow us to live as nature intended anymore. It's a side effect of civilisation. We can't go back, and as such, this may also prevent us from moving forward. The irony.

If the stream of emails I'm getting in my inbox from Survival International are anything to go by....that isn't an option either.

 

[santaman2000]

Back on the subject of true hermits is everyone filled with awe and respect for the exploits of Dick Proenneke?

Very much so, although I wouldn't consider him a true hermit. He didn't seem to abhor human contact as such. He'd already served voluntarily in the Navy and graduated a trade school as a diesel mechanic as well as working several normal jobs before doing what he did in his retirement.

 

[Swallow]

Finkel story goes on to detail what he found out while interviewing Knight over a series of jailhouse interview. From Knight's childhood, to stealing from homes, to what he thought about while living off the grid.

Chris became surprisingly introspective. "I did examine myself," he said. "Solitude did increase my perception. But here's the tricky thing—when I applied my increased perception to myself, I lost my identity. With no audience, no one to perform for, I was just there. There was no need to define myself; I became irrelevant. The moon was the minute hand, the seasons the hour hand. I didn't even have a name. I never felt lonely. To put it romantically: I was completely free."
​

Is it just me or is that why we all go out there?