Don't assume you have a Christian monopoly on this Jock, old boy. As an atheist, I also believe in "expiation, repentance and the ability of people to change their lives for the better". This is a secular liberal issue, not a religious one. Cheers!

I don't mind that statement so much. However, I do think that the sentences themselves need to be looked at.

Life should mean life, but it should be a rare occurrence to have a life sentence.

Perhaps sentences should be more conditional, so perhaps instead of the many life sentences handed out a judge could hand down a sentence of 10 years imprisonment followed by yearly reviews of danger to others and reform with the possibility release/parole/etc

Basically we should redefine our terms to mean what they mean in reality rather than what people think they mean.