I would also add, as a long time criminal defendant myself and someone who is very much against mass incarceration, that I may have a bias here, as I do not want to see anyone sent to prison. Even my worst enemy. Jails and prisons are cruel places, and there is relatively little evidence (if any) that they serve any rehabilitative purpose. That may be biasing my assessment of Sam because I do not WANT to see him (or anyone else, really) in prison.
I would also add, as a long time criminal defendant myself and someone who is very much against mass incarceration, that I may have a bias here, as I do not want to see anyone sent to prison. Even my worst enemy. Jails and prisons are cruel places, and there is relatively little evidence (if any) that they serve any rehabilitative purpose. That may be biasing my assessment of Sam because I do not WANT to see him (or anyone else, really) in prison.