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More Jail Time For Computer Crime Starting Next Month

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the third-arm-of-justice dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Washingtonpost.com is running a detailed story about how new changes to the sentencing guidelines will increase jail time for most computer crime cases, starting November 1. When will the feds learn that raising penalties isn't going to deter this type of crime? The piece ends with a quote from uberhacker Kevin Mitnick saying just that."

1 of 419 comments (clear)

  1. Statistics.. by Genjurosan · · Score: 4, Informative

    I went out to the US Dept of Justice Statistics and Weaselmancer has a pretty good point.

    From: USOJP

    Mean sentence for murder = 248 months (20.6 years)

    Hackers whose exploits result in injury or death -- if they disable emergency response networks or destroy electronic medical records, for example -- face 20 years to life in prison.

    Now, I note it does say death, and if a person commits a computer crime that results in death, fine 20 years+ is ok with me; however, injury doesn't warrant the minimum 20 years IMHO.

    What worse is that the average for rape is only about 11 years.