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Comment by fanatic2pope | Hacker News Reader

One thing I wonder, though, is how accurate his memory is at this point one way or the other.

I think such a grave accusation will bring you to write a story into your permanent memory due to how many times you have to repeat it and go over it. If you go to prison, it’s also the last story of your free life. Once inside, your brain will probably be stuck in a loop over what you could have done differently that could have avoided your current situation.

There's no such thing as a "permanent memory," each time you relive it it's liable to get warped by your thoughts at the moment. Decades of thinking "I must have done something to deserve this" are likely to make the memory of his role in events worse.

That's exactly what happens. See for example the murder of Helen Wilson [1], for which six (!) people were falsely convicted, because they were manipulated into forming false memories.

[1] www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/19/remembering-the-murder-you-didnt-commit

There are things you forget as time passes, Stabbing people isn't one of them. Unless you're a psychopath.

The guy admitted to murder at the time. His claims otherwise now are both conflicting with other statements he makes now, and conflict with his admissions at the time.

He says himself he has no friends inside or out and that he was better off in prison... Which also means society was better off.

"...Which also means society was better off.".

Citation needed.

Violent crime was very high in the 80s and 90s, after laws were passed that greatly increased prison sentences for violent criminals in the mid-90s, violent crime has dropped off a cliff. If violent criminals are not out there committing crimes, crime goes down obviously.

> Violent crime was very high in the 80s and 90s, after laws were passed that greatly increased prison sentences for violent criminals in the mid-90s, violent crime has dropped off a cliff.

There were continuous tough on crime efforts throughout (and beyond) the very long “crime wave” period, but there’s very little evidence that they has any impact on turning things around. Better explanations are the demographic bugle aging out of the age range that drives most crime, the lead-crime link, and the legalized abortion crime effect.

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