I believe there is a lesson to be learned here
May 12, 2008 11:03 AM   Subscribe

Triple Murderer caught after escape from experimental furlough program. And again after failing to return from a 2 day leave. And again after escaping from a minimum security work release program.

Also captured in 1994 after escaping with a hostage. Failed escaping in 1989, 1991, 1997 and 2004.

His name : Juha Valjakkala.

(I do not mean to find humour in his horrible crime, but I did find the fact that they still let him out of prison for day trips funny)
posted by Lord_Pall (19 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: poster's request -- jessamyn



 
but I did find the fact that they still let him out of prison for day trips funny

Um, yeah, hilarious.
posted by jonmc at 11:06 AM on May 12, 2008


I guess it's funny in a "How are you possibly so dumb?" sort of way. But it's mostly just terrifying.
posted by Caduceus at 11:08 AM on May 12, 2008


Not really terrifying. I mean he's a scary person, but it's so far out of the norm here that he's more of a curiosity than anything else.

It's really a different perspective.

I apologize if the humour fails. It's just a ridiculous situation. Not HO HO HO jolly funny, but dark cynical, shake your head chuckle funny.

i would urge you to read the articles though and not the scary as fuck Wikipedia article. The tone the sanomat takes is pretty droll.
posted by Lord_Pall at 11:10 AM on May 12, 2008


But hey, he hasn't killed again or anything like that, has he?
posted by Frankie Villon at 11:17 AM on May 12, 2008


Don't think so. He just runs off from prison. And that one hostage situation.
posted by Lord_Pall at 11:18 AM on May 12, 2008 [1 favorite]


It's just a ridiculous situation.

Not really. They had somebody who had already demostrated that he was dangerously violent and allowed him to be outside of a prison. That's not 'ridiculous,' just stupid and callous.
posted by jonmc at 11:18 AM on May 12, 2008


Prisons here are focused on Rehabilitation, not punishment.

I'm torn about whether it's stupid to give this guy the benefit of the doubt though. On one hand, yeah he's got prior escapes, but I think the entire point of rehabilitation is that people can be rehabilitated. No matter who.

Generally, it seems to work extraordinarily well here, but the societal values are different than in the US.

So yeah, it's still ridiculous, but their system does seem to work well.
posted by Lord_Pall at 11:22 AM on May 12, 2008


Prisons here are focused on Rehabilitation, not punishment.

This case would not be the best argument for how well that's been working, sir.
posted by jonmc at 11:24 AM on May 12, 2008


Prisons here are focused on Rehabilitation, not punishment.

Where is "here"? Oh yeah, maybe in Finland. Maybe they should also put a little emphasis on "keeping the public safe".
posted by DU at 11:25 AM on May 12, 2008


Prisons here are focused on Rehabilitation, not punishment.

And before their about either, they're supposed to be about public safety.
posted by jonmc at 11:26 AM on May 12, 2008


Maybe they should also put a little emphasis on "keeping the public safe".

Maybe they should lock up the public.
posted by betaray at 11:29 AM on May 12, 2008


i would urge you to read the articles though and not the scary as fuck Wikipedia article. The tone the sanomat takes is pretty droll.

I think "Scary as fuck" is appropriate when describing a psychopath who shoots a 13 year old, the thirteen year old's dad and then slits the throat of the wife and mother when she comes looking for her family.

And then upon one of his many numerous escapes, he takes a hostage? This guy doesn't need furloughs, he needs a lethal injection.

Or better yet, give him enough rope and don't save him the next time he tries to hang himself.

On preview: Prisons are also for protecting the public. This maniac killed an entire family over a bicycle. And how do these numerous escape attempts show any evidence of rehabilitation?
posted by cjets at 11:33 AM on May 12, 2008


Without getting into the entire debate about the nature of human punishment and human safety, here's some reading material.

I think the Recidivism rate in the US is ~60%, with some crazy high incarceration rate. Uk is around 50, but they focus on Rehabilitation.

The data I found in Finland focuses on 1993-2001 and was 40%, but I think it's lower now.

More information -

Analysis of Open Prison System in Finland

TLDR - The conclusion of the study is that, the introduction of the policies which laid emphasis on rehabilitation rather than using the prison institution as mere punishment tool in Finland have contributed to a better understanding of the structure and functioning not only of prison populations but of social groups in general. In addition, these methods of prevention and rehabilitation in conjunction with correctional, educational staff within and outside the prison walls steadfastly upholding these policies have contributed to the low recidivism rate in Finland.


If you are using prisons for public safety, to remove those who are not fit to return to normal society, without rehabilitating them, well, you've got a doozy of a sociological problem.


Either way. It's ridiculous, and was funny before we got dragged into a ZOMG PRISONS debate.
posted by Lord_Pall at 11:35 AM on May 12, 2008


That's not 'ridiculous,' just stupid and callous.
posted by jonmc at 11:18 AM on May 12 [+] [!]


And also ridiculous. I mean, you see that, right?
posted by basicchannel at 11:36 AM on May 12, 2008


...funny before we got dragged into a ZOMG PRISONS debate.

That's debatable, but I'd like to ask how you think we "got dragged" into a prison debate.
posted by DU at 11:37 AM on May 12, 2008


While I definitely prefer the Finnish rehabilitative system to the lock-em-up-and-rape-em Joe Arpaio situation we seem to have in the US, there are only so many chances you can give a guy. As soon as a hostage was involved in his many escape attempts, that ought to have been the end of his furlough privileges.

A general disinterest in particpating in civilization probably isn't something that can be "rehabilitated." That the system continues to give this guy chances is funny, in a Hogan's Heroes sort of way.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:38 AM on May 12, 2008


Either way. It's ridiculous, and was funny before we got dragged into a ZOMG PRISONS debate.

You post a LOLTRIPLEMURDERER thread and have the nerve to be surprised that it turns in to a debate about prisons? Mybe you need rehabilitation. for brain damage.
posted by jonmc at 11:39 AM on May 12, 2008


And also ridiculous. I mean, you see that, right?

but not all that chuckleworthy.
posted by jonmc at 11:40 AM on May 12, 2008


The wikipedia article states that we was released February 25, 2008.
By what metric is he considered rehabilitated?
posted by bastionofsanity at 11:42 AM on May 12, 2008


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