Q&A: Being Moral Toward a Criminal
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Being Moral Toward a Criminal
Question
Is one required (in terms of Jewish law, and morally) to act and behave morally toward a criminal (for example, a murderer or a rapist)? For instance, to allow him to sit in a decent prison, to call his family from time to time, etc., etc.
Answer
The question is not well defined. He is liable for punishment, and the punishment is supposed to make things harder for him. How much hardship should be imposed on him is determined by the court. That hardship can be measured in terms of the length of the imprisonment or its conditions. There is no single answer to this, and it cannot really be defined.