The year was 2131. The Midwestern courthouse of over two-hundred years old had stood as a pillar of the legal system for generations. But the state of the republic was not as rosy as it once had been. After nearly a century of civil war, economic turmoil, and increased crime, the United States needed a complete overhaul to have a chance to succeed. Many of the institutions which had remained static for years were forced to change, not the least of which was the penal system.
The sound of the gavel echoed through the courtroom. The judge looked down from his bench, wearing a traditional black robe that had more of a twentieth-century feel to it than the mid-twenty second century styles seen out on the street and in the air. "I hereby sentence you to five years in state penitentiary, for the crime of grand larceny", his decree resounded. His stern stare seemed designed to intimidate the handcuffed girl before him. "Do you wish to request an alternative form of serving your sentence, or do you wish to be handed over to the department of corrections immediately?"
The prison system had been determined to be an excessive drain on the government's limited budget. Among the changes passed when the new constitution was written was an option to reduce one's sentence at the judge's discretion, by serving a much shorter sentence at an "Ultra-Correctional Disciplinary Center", commonly known as just a "Center". The shorter sentences saved much taxpayer money, but the prisoners would be forced to work, and strict punishments were meted out at the discretion of the wardens. Because this was a controversial bill, and many left-wing politicians regarded the methods used as torture, it was decided to give a sentenced individual the option to serve the term at the "Center." Therefore, no one could say that the person was forced to undergo this type of imprisonment. However, once the documents of agreement were signed, there was no going back.
Silence filled the courtroom as the judge looked down from his bench, awaiting her reply.
The sound of the gavel echoed through the courtroom. The judge looked down from his bench, wearing a traditional black robe that had more of a twentieth-century feel to it than the mid-twenty second century styles seen out on the street and in the air. "I hereby sentence you to five years in state penitentiary, for the crime of grand larceny", his decree resounded. His stern stare seemed designed to intimidate the handcuffed girl before him. "Do you wish to request an alternative form of serving your sentence, or do you wish to be handed over to the department of corrections immediately?"
The prison system had been determined to be an excessive drain on the government's limited budget. Among the changes passed when the new constitution was written was an option to reduce one's sentence at the judge's discretion, by serving a much shorter sentence at an "Ultra-Correctional Disciplinary Center", commonly known as just a "Center". The shorter sentences saved much taxpayer money, but the prisoners would be forced to work, and strict punishments were meted out at the discretion of the wardens. Because this was a controversial bill, and many left-wing politicians regarded the methods used as torture, it was decided to give a sentenced individual the option to serve the term at the "Center." Therefore, no one could say that the person was forced to undergo this type of imprisonment. However, once the documents of agreement were signed, there was no going back.
Silence filled the courtroom as the judge looked down from his bench, awaiting her reply.