Spanish justice system

Sometimes I think that Spain´s justice system is whack. Maybe it is because I come from a place where we seem to fill up our prisions pretty quickly and have made a business out of incarcerating folks in some cases (see, not everywhere is perfect). But my issue often times here in Spain is that I don´t believe the punishments fit the crimes. I don´t pretend to understand the complexities of Spanish law nor have I studied this very intensely because ain´t no one got time for that. This is just an observation I have made and here are a few examples of what I mean:

  • In Spain you cannot be sentenced to life in prision. It doesn´t exist. There is a maximum amount of time you can be in the clink. This blew my mind when Jose told me. You can commit a horrific crime and eventually hope to be freed from jail. Maybe Spain does a better job rehabilitating their criminals but I seriously doubt it. Some people just deserve to rot in jail. You see this a lot when old national terrorists serve their 30ish year sentence and then swagger out of jail to the cheers of others who have idolised them. Imagine being the family members of those people who suffered at their hands. How is it justice that those who have been convicted of killing others eventually walk free?

  • Another recent case in the news was that of two fathers (allegedly with the mothers´knowledge if not consent) who decided to exchange their young daughters with the intent of being the sick freaks they are. I think the natural reaction to this is to lock them up and throw away the key. Their sentences? 8 and 10 years. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??????
  • Last but certainly not least (and this is probably true throughout the world) we see lots and lots of cases in which politicians or big business men have robbed either the country or their company blind. This usually becomes a legal battle which goes on so long that people get bored and by the time the sentence (or lack there of) is handed down, it seems as if people´s rage has converted into indignation at best. Do any of these people ever really spend any time in jail? Aren´t their punishments usually that they must pay back only a small portion of what they pillaged? 
Let´s be honest, it is probably a good thing that I am not qualified to be on a jury here in Spain. 

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