Rukinisha Nkundabatware was stabbed to death by a random stranger on July 9th, 2023, as he tried to ride the LRT in Edmonton. He was 54 and left seven children behind. Ironically, he had escaped the violent, impoverished world of Congo, only to be murdered due to Canada’s pathetic justice system.Jamal Wheeler killed Nkundabatware in cold blood. He didn’t know his victim nor was he provoked by the victim. Wheeler has a thing with trying to kill people at LRT stations. It's an established pattern for him. .He had been convicted for attacking people with pepper spray at a station.He had been convicted for pushing a person onto the train tracks at a station and he had been convicted of attacking people with an axe at a station. Limp-wristed sentencing ensured Wheeler was released repeatedly until he finally managed to kill a man.Now, Wheeler has reached the apex of his criminal career so far. He has stolen the life from an innocent person. So, what is his sentence?Wheeler will be free in four and a half years to kill somebody else. My prediction, he won’t be reformed, and another innocent person or people will pay the ultimate price. Minds as twisted as Wheeler's can't be repaired..Anybody who has followed court proceedings for violent, chronic offenders knows the usual lines of defence. He was Metis and suffered due to colonialism. He was an addict. He had a rough upbringing. Blah blah blah. You know what? I couldn’t care less.When it comes to sentencing for criminals, the only thing that should be taken into consideration is public safety. How the criminal got there in the first place is irrelevant. Wheeler is clearly so dangerous he should never be free again yet he will be and he will reoffend..I do understand we must study what creates violent, repeat offenders. It is important to learn so we may hopefully prevent violent crimes rather than react to them. Once a person has become a habitual offender though, it’s time to write them off from society.By all means, reforming criminals should be the priority with new offenders.It's the best outcome we can all see, when a person has gone off the rails, but used their time incarcerated to better themselves and become functional citizens upon release. We should provide resources to assist with rehabilitation in that case and the investment will often be well worth it..When the efforts for reform fail and the offender becomes chronic, however, it’s time to accept reality and remove them from the public indefinitely. The success rate in reforming chronic offenders is terribly low and once a criminal has reached that status, the safety and rights of the public must come before those of the offender.It's not just chronic violent criminals who must be incarcerated for long terms. Repeat offenders from thieves to drug dealers need to be removed as well. The cost and societal damage from career criminals can’t be understated even if they aren’t directly violent. They cause mistrust, stress and damage. They also put the public at risk as they take up law enforcement resources as they are constantly arrested and released.Study after study indicates the vast majority of crimes are committed by a minority of chronic offenders. It stands to reason if we keep that minority locked up, they can’t reoffend. How many times must we read of some burglar or car thief being convicted for their hundredth offense, never mind multiple murderers?.The cost to incarcerate needn’t be too high when it’s accepted that the inmate will never be released. Resources don’t need to be wasted on rehabilitation and facilities can be constructed in isolated regions to inexpensively prevent escapes. Call it gulags if you will. I don’t care. The criminals had a choice. Their victims didn’t.No, I still don’t support capital punishment. I don’t trust our legal system or government enough to give it the power to kill a citizen. I do support 100-year sentences though.
