A lot of people can't wrap their heads around the idea that sometimes punishment and penalties aren't the answer. I find it truly ironic that some of the people that are most ardent about punishment, from late fees to capital punishment, are devout Christians. I never heard of Jesus saying - hey, you go to Hell for a bit to pay for all of your sins before getting into Heaven. Yet, you'd think that with the way punishment is held up as the main corrective for any problem with the human condition among many Christians in the U.S..